Playing the Game
by DietCokeIsLife
Summary: High School AU! Lloyd is less than thrilled about the new foster kid that's going to be sharing his room, but even he wasn't prepared for emo teen Morro whose aspirations go no higher than dropping out of high school and torturing Lloyd for no apparent reason, not to mention Lloyd's hopeless crush on the most popular girl in school and that annoying conscience of his.
1. The Foster Kid

**Heeeeeelllooooo, everyone!**

**So, I know it's been a while! I've been busier than I expected this summer, and I sincerely apologize to all the people whose PMs I have not responded to yet! I *promise* I'm not ignoring you guys! (KyraPlays, I haven't forgotten about you! Your PMs are forthcoming! ;D)**

**But, I've been sort of working on this story on and off for a little while along with another, and I thought I might as well post it! I've always wanted to try my hand at a high school AU! XD This story is mostly just for fun, and I thought I'd sort of post this chapter as a test to gauge the response :D**

**I hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

Lloyd started awake at the screeching sound of his alarm. Groaning, he pounded it with his fist, hoping to catch a few more moments of sleep before it went off again-

"Lloyd, turn that infernal thing off and get up!" Garmadon demanded through the door. Lloyd groaned again, louder this time, hoping to broadcast his displeasure through the door to his father. "You're going to be late for school!"

Sighing, Lloyd rolled lazily onto his back, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Reaching blindly for the pair of jeans slung over the endboard of his bed, he started pulling them on with one hand while stumbling over to the dresser. Peering into the mirror, he grabbed the comb and yanked it viciously through his golden locks. Jay constantly complained about the unfairness of Lloyd getting all the "pretty boy" genes, but he was sure Jay wouldn't complain if he could see Lloyd's bed head.

Over his reflection's shoulder, he caught sight of the bed sitting against the opposite wall of his own bed with a simple dark blue comforter ("teenage boys like blue, right?" "Yeah, sure, Mom.") With a sneer, he remembered all of the stuff he'd had to shove into the closet to make room for the bed, and then all the stuff he had to shove under his bed to make room in the closet.

Pulling on the nearest t-shirt and slinging his backpack over one shoulder, Lloyd trudged into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," his mom greeted him cheerily as he sleepily slumped into the nearest chair. "Waffles?"

"I'm not hungry," Lloyd replied immediately, crossing his arms on top of the table.

"Lloyd," his father said sternly from across the table where he was sipping his mug of steaming coffee. "This is happening whether you want it to or not, so you might as well stop sulking about it."

"I'm not sulking," Lloyd lied, resting his head on his folded arms, mostly to avoid having to meet his dad's steely gaze. "I'm just not hungry, alright?"

"I think you'll start to regret the decision to skip breakfast right around third period."

"Believe me, there are worse fates than going hungry for two periods," Lloyd snarked, standing up and dragging his backpack behind him. "I'll be in the car."

For once, Lloyd actually _wished_ he could walk to school, but Garmadon had decreed that, since he was taking the day off from the dojo, he would drive Lloyd to school today.

Garmadon seemed to nurse that cup of coffee _forever_\- probably just to teach Lloyd a lesson about being disrespectful- but finally he loped into the garage and slid into the driver's seat of his black four door.

As Garmadon pulled out onto the street, Lloyd could feel him glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, but the teenager firmly kept his gaze on the window.

"I know this is going to be a big adjustment, Lloyd-"

"You can say that again."

"Alright, I'm trying to be understanding, but that attitude will still get your bike locked up if that's what you really want."

Lloyd ducked his head, cheeks burning with shame for snarking at his dad. "Sorry."

"As I was saying, it will be a big adjustment, Lloyd, but what we're doing is _important_. We're giving a safe, caring home to somebody who doesn't have one."

Lloyd sank down further in his seat. When his dad put it like that, _I don't want to share my room with a stranger_ didn't seem like that strong of an argument. And, his dad probably knew that.

"They're supposed to be at the house at four thirty," Garmadon informed his son, flipping on his blinker as he pulled into the high school's parking lot. "That means you need to come home straight from school. No dillydallying with your friends like you usually do."

"I know, I know, Dad," Lloyd reassured, hand already straying to the door's handle as he spotted two very familiar backpacks in the crowd. "I'll be there."

"Who knows?" Garmadon asked as he brought the car to a stop. "You might even like him."

_Doubt it_, Lloyd snapped, but silently this time. Lloyd had already been pushing his luck this morning, and he honestly would not put it past his dad to give his sixteen year old son a spanking for being disrespectful.

"Yeah, Dad," Lloyd said instead as he hopped out of the car. "Bye, thanks for the ride."

Before he could hear if his dad replied, Lloyd was already rushing over to Kai and Nya's side. "Hey, guys."

"Who died?" Kai asked by way of reciprocal greeting.

Nya elbowed her brother in the ribs. "You know, Kai! The foster kid's coming today."

Kai's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah! Are you nervous, bro?"

"Um, _yeah_," Lloyd answered. "Knowing my luck, he's going to be super weird, or smell bad, or snore-"

"Are you guys talking about Cole again?" Jay asked as he and the teen in question joined the group.

"Har har," Cole replied, flicking Jay in the back of the head.

"I believe they were discussing the foster child that will be arriving at Lloyd's household today," Zane explained from where he had suddenly appeared on Nya's other side, making the girl jump and grab her chest with fright. "And, Lloyd was listing off the worst traits the foster child could have, most likely inspired by the horror stories he's read online published by other children welcoming a new foster child into their lives."

"Lloyd, we told you to stop doing that," Cole said, now flicking the shorter teen in the back of _his_ head. Lloyd grabbed the back of his head and glared at Zane for snitching on him. "You're worrying over nothing. He's probably going to be a perfectly normal kid that you end up being best friends with."

"Yeah, yeah, I've already gotten that whole spiel from my parents," Lloyd said, nodding. "I know he'll probably be nice, and I know it's a good deed, and, you know, I'm proud of my parents for doing it, but…"

"It's an adjustment," Nya supplied sympathetically, nodding. "It's okay to be disappointed, Lloyd, but try to look on the bright side. It's only a probationary period, right? If there's something really that off about him, you can ask your parents to have him transferred."

"Yeah…," Lloyd replied. Then, with more conviction, he repeated, "Yeah! You're right, Nya. It's just a trial. It's not permanent. Pfft, I can do this."

* * *

By third period, despite the rumbling in his stomach, Lloyd was feeling much better about the whole thing, and he was… well, not _excited_ about the foster kid, but not despairing over him either.

At lunch, he was more than ready to just talk about normal stuff… so it didn't help that the foster kid was all anybody else could talk about.

"We're going to have to make room at our table!" Jay exclaimed, already scooting closer to Pixal on the bench across the table from Lloyd. "What if he's claustrophobic? Or a germaphobe? Or socially awkward?!"

"I don't think anyone could be more awkward than you, Jay," Cole countered, laughing as he scarfed down the cafeteria meatloaf. He was the only one at the table that could actually stomach the school lunch; the others either brought lunch or subsisted entirely on store-bought snacks.

"He most likely will be shy," Zane chimed in. He took a green grape before pushing the bag toward his girlfriend. "It is hard to switch to a new school, especially in junior year of high school. It can have detrimental effects on one's emotional wellbeing, not to mention create gaps in his or her learning."

"Do you know anything about this foster child on which we could base a hypothesis, Lloyd?" Pixal asked before popping one of Zane's green grapes in her mouth.

"No," Lloyd replied sullenly, re-depressed by Jay's reminders of all the ways in which this foster kid could be weird and shake up his life. "I don't even know his name."

"Don't worry about it, bro!" Kai exclaimed, clapping Lloyd on the back. "He's going to be some average Joe you forget even exists. Mark my words." Kai punctuated this declaration by pouring the remainder of the chips in his bag into his mouth.

"Yeah, I-"

Lloyd was interrupted by the sound of Cole yelping in indignation as his tray was swept off the table.

"What the heck, Vi?!"

Vi- or, as most of the school knew her, Ultra Violet- was standing there with her hands on her hips. She was glaring at Cole from beneath her dramatic eye-makeup that gave her her nickname. She tossed her ponytail, the only source of hair anywhere on her head, over her shoulder before pushing her phone in Cole's face.

"Why didn't you call me back last night?" She demanded.

Cole rolled his eyes. "_You _broke up with _me_, remember? Sorry if I don't want to get called a two-timing pig again."

As Ultra Violet embarked on her tirade while Cole listened with a series of long-suffering sighs and eye rolls, Pixal cocked her head.

"I do not understand. Why do Cole and Violet maintain this rather destructive relationship when it does not seem to make either of them happy?"

"Eh, Cole's got a thing for girls that can beat him up," Jay explained nonchalantly, as if that were the same as saying Cole preferred blondes. "He's been into her ever since she broke his arm in sixth grade."

"And, we think he secretly likes how she's obsessed with him," Nya added with an eye roll.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Lloyd grumbled teasingly, as his "eternally single" status was very, _very_ well known. "I _wish _I-"

"Ultra Violet, don't be so rude!"

Lloyd nearly swallowed his tongue.

Because that voice… that voice that was so musical and warm and inviting and friendly and _beautiful_ could only be…

Lloyd turned to see the girl that had joined them by their table straightening with Cole's violated tray in her hands, setting it apologetically back on the table top. Her silky white hair was immaculately done up with her trademark chopsticks. Her ruby red lips were quirked in a somewhat sheepish smile. Even her name was perfect.

_Harumi_.

"I'm so sorry about that, Cole," she apologized on behalf of Ultra Violet, who had a strictly _un_repentant expression on her face. "Can I buy you lunch, maybe?"

"It's no biggie, Harumi," Cole shrugged off easily. Lloyd's green eyes were huge as he marvelled at how Cole could so easily talk to the most amazing girl in the entire school. "Thanks, though."

Harumi smiled- Lloyd's brain almost overheated- and glanced at her phone screen. "It looks like class is about to start anyway. We better get going, Ultra Violet. Bye, guys."

Wait, _guys_? She had said, "bye, _guys_." Meaning all of them. Meaning that, really, she had said bye to _him_. _Harumi_ had made a point to say goodbye to _Lloyd_.

Harumi and Ultra Violet had been joined by their other two friends, Killow and Mr. E, and exited the cafeteria by the time it even occurred to Lloyd to say "bye" back.

"Lloyd, are you feeling feverish?" Zane asked, reaching across the table to touch Lloyd's forehead. "Your face is flushed."

"No, it isn't," Lloyd mumbled as he ducked away from Zane's hand, but he still tucked his chin into the neckhole of his hoodie.

"Lloyd," Kai began in his "big brother" voice, clapping his hand on the younger boy's shoulders. "If you want to ask her out, you're going to have to actually _talk_ to her."

"I don't want to talk about this," Lloyd replied, burying his face in his hands.

"Ugh, why do you even like her, Lloyd?" Nya demanded, stabbing the lid of her pudding cup multiple times with her spoon. "She's so pretty and perfect and… _bleh_."

"I think you just answered your own question, sis."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Lloyd insisted, crossing his arms on the table in front of him and resting his chin on them. "She has a boyfriend."

"She _claims_ to have a boyfriend who goes to a different school," Jay pointed out. "That's just a trick girls use to get guys to leave them alone, though."

Everyone turned a questioning look to Jay.

"What? I hear things."

The bell rang at that point, thankfully sparing Lloyd from further embarrassment.

Kai slapped him on the back again as they were leaving the cafeteria. "Don't worry, bro." He smirked, pointing at himself with his thumb. "You couldn't _ask_ for a better wingman."

* * *

Lloyd all but sprinted down the sidewalk, glancing at his phone again and again and wishing that the numbers would miraculously start going down.

_4:34_

"Crap, crap, crap," he muttered, narrowly sidestepping a dog-walker and her Pomeranian. "Dad's going to kill me…"

He _would_ have made it home with plenty of time to spare if he hadn't run into Coach Dareth in the hallway on the way out of the school. Most kids liked Dareth- especially since most of his history class he ended up telling long-winded, (false) stories about when _he_ was in high school, and then ended up giving extremely easy assignments in the last five minutes of class- and some of the girls pretended to like Coach Dareth to get close to Assistant Coach Ronin. Lloyd was no exception, but he had fallen victim to one of Dareth's stories at the worst possible moment, and now his parents were going to ground him for life for getting home late on _today_ of all days.

As Lloyd turned onto his street, he was praying that the foster kid was late… and then cursed when he saw the unfamiliar white car sitting in front of his house.

He ran up the front walk, paused on the porch to collect himself and try to catch his breath, and then opened the unlocked front door.

"Ah, here's Lloyd now. Better late than never, I suppose," Garmadon chuckled, even though Lloyd could easily hear his impending doom in the laughter. His mother was sitting beside her husband on the couch, a similar disapproving look on her face hidden by a polite smile for the social worker's sake. Uncle Wu was on her other side, having agreed to be present so the social worker would see the whole family together in greeting.

But, Lloyd barely registered any of that.

His green eyes were fixated on the foster kid standing in the middle of the room.

Pale skin. Black hair- scratch that. Black hair that he had dyed a green streak in. One earring. Combat boots. Ripped black jeans. Faded green t-shirt and a black flannel jacket.

"Lloyd, don't be rude," Misako entreated, which Lloyd translated as "_stop staring at the freaky emo goth kid that's going to be living in your room_." "Introduce yourself."

"Um…," Lloyd stuck his hand out in front of him. "Hi. I'm Lloyd."

The foster kid waited a minute before accepting Lloyd's hand, looking the other teen up and down slowly with those disconcerting black eyes of his as he sized Lloyd up.

Finally, a smirk slowly grew on his face that Lloyd did not like one bit, as if he had seen exactly what he had wanted to find in the other boy.

"Morro," the foster kid said by way of reciprocal greeting. His handshake was firm. To the point Lloyd wondered if Morro was trying to break his fingers.

For some reason, Morro's next words sent a shiver up his spine.

"I think we're going to be great friends."

* * *

**So, obviously this was more of an introductory chapter, but things can only get better now that Lloyd and Morro are sharing a room XD**

**So, should I continue? I'd love to hear your thoughts! And, as always, feel free to send in suggestions for Nya's Five Times (which I also haven't forgotten about XD)**

**I love you all! Thank you for reading :D**


	2. One Eye Open

**Hello again, everyone! Let me just tell you guys that I was *pleasantly* surprised to see the response this story got! I am overjoyed that all of you enjoyed it so much, especially since it's been so much fun writing it :3**

**Now, I know this chapter is short, but I'll update again pretty quick here! ;D**

**Special thanks to: ****The-Aroace-Queen-in-the-Quiver, Dyphen, Lea Hence, GreenHolly2, NaninaDaPanda, Olivewhisker, black is the new black 13, MasterOfMusic139, KyraPlays, GameCubeGirl1, RandomDragon2.0, KatTheGracefulKlutz, HawaiiHoku-TheNinjaLover, Kifo Entiegon, RandomIsCJ, TheYellowNinja, PrairieSkies, Jens, Guest, Guest, Guest, SheaAndDove, LucyBrick123, JBomb217, Nuppa Nuppa, Plumcicle, Midnight sherlockian221, and Rick Riordan 1 for reviewing! :D **

**Replies to guest reviews:**

**TheYellowNinja: Haha, yes, I am alive! I've missed you too XD It makes me so happy that even after all this time you haven't forgotten about me and still check in for updates! :D I'm so glad you're excited for my high school AU! It's always been an idea I had, so I thought I might as well give it a try! So, it makes me SOOO happy to know you're enjoying it so much so far! :D Haha! I'm glad you enjoyed the little detail about Ultra Violet and Cole XD If he's not going to get a girlfriend in the show, I thought I might as well give him a toxic relationship with a crazy girlfriend in my story XD And, writing Lloyd pining over Harumi was sooooo fun for me XD It wouldn't be high school without a hopeless crush and ensuing drama, now would it? I really hope you continue liking the story as much as you have been, especially now that Morro's "really" in it! My summer's been great, just busy! I'm bummed about going back to school soon :/ How's your summer? I imagine great since I know school is so stressful for you! :D Thank you sooo much for reviewing! :D**

**Jens: Yay! That really means a lot to me! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: Haha! Yep! While we don't get *too* much of Garmadon being a real dad in the show, I imagine he wouldn't put up with rebellious teen Lloyd! XD Zane is funny in every universe XD I thought Cole and Ultra Violet would be a cute little detail to add XD Aaaand, things can only get more complicated now that Harumi's on the scene :/ Haha, we'll see how Morro and Lloyd get along now! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: I'm so glad you were excited for an update from me! ****Oh, wow! I have a VERY limited knowledge of the foster care system, so I am positive that there will probably be a lot of inaccuracies :/ Please feel free to correct me, and thank you so much for offering the assistance! :D Thank you for trying out something that's typically not your cup of tea XD BUT, I promise, *plenty* of things can and will go wrong XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: It means so much to me that you can find so much in my writing! :D And, as you know, I LOVE favorite character torture XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**JBomb217: Haha! Yep, I thought I'd try my hand at something new! XD I'm SO glad you still thought all of the ninja were still in character! (Jay is such a ham XD) Believe me, I don't think Cole and Ultra Violet would last longer than a high school romance, but I thought it'd be a fun detail XD (And, I pretty much got this idea from my brother, who also likes girls who can beat him up XD) And, yeeeaaah, I'm not sure Lloyd's family is the best fit for Morro... XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Plumcicle: Yay, I'm so glad! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Rick Riordan 1: Yay, I'm so happy you're liking it so far! :D YES! "Adorable toxic relationship" is *exactly* what I was going for with Cole and Ultra Violet XD Ooh, I think that's a really good idea for Jay's Five Times, and it DEFINITELY sounds like something that would happen in their relationship! (Jay would apologize even if he was in the right to make Nya happy ;-;) It is an absolute honor to be one of your favorite authors and an inspiration! You inspire me too with your lovely reviews! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"So, um, here's my room," Lloyd said, awkwardly leading the way into the bedroom that Morro would now share. "Er, um, _our_ room. I guess."

Morro glanced at his new surroundings before obediently tossing his single black duffel bag onto the unoccupied bed.

"Um… Mom said we can decorate it however you want. Like, go shopping this weekend or something…," Lloyd trailed off when Morro didn't respond but silently inspected the room. The younger teen almost protested when Morro crossed over to Lloyd's side of the room, studying the pictures pinned onto his bulletin board and various awards decorating the book shelf at the end of his bed.

In the meantime, Lloyd pulled out his phone and started frantically texting the group chat.

_Lloyd: GUYS! HELP! THE FOSTER KID IS EMU!_

_Zane: He is an emu? That is concerning._

_Lloyd: Emo. U kno what I meant_

_Cole: I thought you meant emu._

_Lloyd: UGH, WHATEVER! HE'S GOT GREEN HAIR AND AN EARRING!_

_Zane: Do not judge him based solely on appearances, Lloyd._

_Jay: What's he like? :D_

"Is that your bike outside?"

Lloyd's head snapped up, and he guiltily slid his phone back into his pocket, as if Morro somehow knew he was texting about him.

"Um, yeah," Lloyd replied, coming to join Morro by the window where his motorcycle was parked in front of the house. It had been his pride and joy ever since his parents had gotten it for him last Christmas. Of course it was only after the fact that Lloyd realized it was more or less a bribe to be okay with having a foster kid share his room.

Morro nodded approvingly, as if Lloyd had passed some sort of test.

"Most days I walk to school, though. It's not that far," Lloyd continued, taking hold of this little nugget of conversation and using it to ride out the awkwardness. In his pocket, his phone was buzzing like crazy now that the group chat had come alive. "And then after school, we have to go over to Uncle Wu's, since my mom tutors at home until six and she doesn't want us disturbing her students."

Morro smirked as there was a pause, the only noise being the vibrating of Lloyd's phone, and the blonde teen blushed.

He nodded at Lloyd's pocket. "You better get back to telling your friends about me."

Lloyd recoiled nervously. "I wasn't-"

"You're so obvious, it's painful," Morro laughed derisively before moving to lay down on his generic looking bed.

Unsure how to proceed with this very odd, very unexpected foster kid, Lloyd hesitantly slid his vibrating phone out of his jean pocket. His green eyes moved from where Morro was lying with his arms behind his head to where his feet were propped up on the one black duffel bag he had brought with him.

"Well, um… you can go ahead and unpack if you want," Lloyd offered, mostly just to see how Morro would react.

Morro shrugged and closed his creepy black eyes. "Believe me, it's better if I don't."

Lloyd blinked before hesitantly perching on the edge of his own bed. Morro didn't move but stayed lying on the bed with his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. When Lloyd was sure Morro wasn't going to move, his eyes finally dropped to his phone screen.

_Jay: ?_

_Kai: the emo kid killed Lloyd! :O!_

_Nya: they're probably having a great time together_

_Cole: you've been replaced as best friend, Kai_

_Kai: :/_

_Zane: Lloyd, if you do not respond soon, I will be forced to come over and perform a wellcheck._

_Lloyd: sorry_

_Lloyd: there's something off about him_

_Cole: i'd say there's definitely something off about having an emu for a foster brother_

_Lloyd: EMO_

_Lloyd: NOT EMU_

_Nya: give him a chance lloyd _

_Lloyd: I am giving him a chance!_

_Lloyd: but there's something weird about him!_

_Kai: we'll see him tomorrow_

_Zane: On that note, I must finish my homework for math class._

_Jay: there's math homework?!_

_Jay: okay then me too. Bye_

* * *

"So, Morro, tell us a little bit about yourself," Garmadon suggested as his wife, brother, and two charges sat down at the dinner table.

Lloyd cast a sidelong look at the teenage boy beside him, curious despite himself. This goth kid was still a big question mark, and Lloyd would take any information he could get.

Uncle Wu sat on Morro's other side, an enigmatic small smile on his face.

"Oh, there's not much to tell," Morro insisted modestly, an open and friendly smile on his face that had not been directed at Lloyd once the entire evening. "I like to draw a little, take a lot of walks, you know, regular stuff." He turned to Misako then, grin doubling in size as he gestured to the spaghetti in front of him. "This is _incredible_, Mrs. Garmadon!"

Lloyd frowned as Misako smiled, flattered, and Garmadon nodded approvingly. Where was this pinnacle of politeness twenty minutes ago in the bedroom? Wu was the only one who seemed to notice anything off, but Lloyd didn't know _what _he was thinking most of the time.

"This is just like my mom used to make!" Morro continued as he swirled some more noodles around his fork. The biological Garmadon family collectively started at the mention of the taboo subject.

"She was a good cook?" Garmadon asked, his deep voice confident despite the potentially treacherous waters they were treading.

"Oh yeah, the best," Morro replied fondly. Looking down, he swallowed. Then he continued quietly, "It's okay if you want to know what happened to them. Both my parents died in a fire while I was at a babysitter's."

"Oh, honey," Misako cooed, reaching across the table to pat his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," Morro said, smiling reassuringly at his foster parents. "I just want you all to know how grateful I am for you taking me in like this."

"Of course," Garmadon said immediately. "And, we'll do everything we can for you. You need anything, just say the word."

Lloyd's green eyes dropped to his plate. In all his complaining about Morro's arrival, he'd almost forgotten the reason he was in foster care.

After dinner, Morro volunteered to do the dishes (a chore which Lloyd despised with a passion) but Garmadon rebuffed his efforts to be helpful and Misako volunteered to show him all the school supplies she'd bought him for tomorrow.

"Bye, Uncle Wu," Lloyd said with a wave as he picked up the backpack he had discarded in the foyer that afternoon. "See you tomorrow."

"It was nice to meet you," Morro said graciously, holding his hand out for Wu to shake.

Wu studied the teen for a moment, mirroring the way Morro had sized Lloyd up earlier that day, before giving the boy's hand a firm shake with that same amused smile.

"And, I hope it will be nice to meet you once I do," Wu replied cryptically before turning and walking out the front door.

Lloyd furrowed his brow, and Morro stood there, blinking at the now shut door.

Whenever the older teen turned around, he shot a sneer at Lloyd that would have been ludicrous to imagine on his face a couple of minutes ago at the dinner table.

"What are _you_ looking at?"

And, with that, Morro sauntered back into the kitchen, greeting the sight of Misako and his obscene amount of school supplies with unbridled joy.

Not for the first time that night, Lloyd felt as if he had whiplash- one second the new kid was perfectly proper, and the next he was biting Lloyd's head off.

He stomped off to his bedroom with his backpack, wishing fruitlessly that there wouldn't be a second bed in it when he got there.

* * *

When Lloyd reentered the bedroom after taking his shower (which his mom had insisted (read: ordered) he take after Morro had taken his to be polite), he saw Morro wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a black and green dragon on it and black boxer shorts, his wet black and green hair curling around his ears.

And, he had the binder Lloyd had left on his bed in his lap, rifling through all of Lloyd's papers _without _permission.

"Hey!" Lloyd yelped, springing forward and snatching the binder out of Morro's hands. Good thing too; a few more pages and Morro would have stumbled across Lloyd's pathetically embarrassing page of Harumi's name doodled in curly writing. "Ever heard of a thing called privacy?!"

"I was just trying to get to know my new brother better," Morro replied, batting his eyelashes innocently even as his voice dripped with sarcasm. He leaned back on his hands, smirking up from where he was sitting on his bed. "I mean, have you ever got less than a B on _anything_?"

"None of your business," Lloyd muttered, turning his back on Morro and stuffing his binder in his backpack as he blushed. Then again, why should he be ashamed of good grades? What was it about Morro that made him feel like his every move was the _wrong_ one?

"We have history together, by the way," Morro remarked as he laid down on his bed, his arms behind his head as they had been that afternoon.

"Oh, joy," Lloyd grumbled. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Seventeen," Morro replied, probably the first straight answer he had given Lloyd since he met him. "Should be a senior, but moving foster homes every six months kind of screws up your credits."

"So, you're still a junior then."

"Just until I turn eighteen," Morro clarified. "Then I am buying a one way ticket _out_ of here."

Lloyd started. "You're going to drop out? But… but without a high school diploma, at least-"

"Yeah, wasn't really looking for a meeting with my guidance counselor," Morro interrupted, turning on his side so he was facing away from Lloyd. "Catch the light, will you? Gotta get my beauty sleep, you know."

Lloyd huffed. Why did he even attempt at a civil conversation with this guy?

He made sure to set his hated alarm clock before he slapped the light switch and flopped onto his own bed.

No matter how much he tossed and turned, he couldn't get comfortable with the sound of breathing coming from the opposite side of the room. Something told him that, with this kid, he should sleep with one eye open.

* * *

**So, like I said, I know this chapter was short, but don't worry! We will find out how Morro's first day of school goes soon! ;D**

**Thank you so much for reading! :D**


	3. Inscrutable

**Hello, everyone, I hope you all are having a wonderful day! :D Unfortunately, I *do* start school next week, but, like with my other stories, this story is already like 90% written, so I'm pretty confident I can keep up with somewhat weekly updates! :D**

**Special thanks to: SheaAndDove, black is the new black 13, NaninaDaPanda, KyraPlays, MasterOfMusic139, RandomDragon2.0, Katla1, WindNinja333, Dyphen, Lea Hence, Peanut2196, GameCubeGirl1, ****The-Aroace-Queen-in-the-Quiver, Guest, TheYellowNinja, JBomb217, Rick Riordan1, Lia, LunaPikazard12, Jens, and Crystal moon for reviewing! :D (Yes, I know I need to reply to reviews, please don't remind me how behind I am ;-;)**

**Replies to guest reviews:**

**Guest: Haha, I'm glad you're excited! Thank you for reviewing! :D**

**TheYellowNinja: YES! Troubling is definitely the word I would use to describe Morro XD Poor Lloyd getting Morro for a roommate! But, I promise you, there's more in store for our little green bean ;D Don't worry, writing about the whole emu typo STILL makes me laugh every time I read it and it's *my* joke XD Yeah, I'm thinking around a week, though, as you can see, not exactly ;D The summer's definitely gone by too quickly! ;-; That's so cool about the environment camp! The environment is DEFINITELY a major issue, especially as time goes by, and I think that is a truly noble cause to devote your life to! Wow, wrestling AND swimming?! You've been MUCH more active than I have been XD Please don't stress! Everything will work out fine, and you are going to do great! :D Thank you so so much for this lovely review! (I promise I love to get updates on your life! :D)**

**JBomb217: It all makes sense now XD Wu being cryptic and Morro being mean? That's a shocker! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Rick Riordan1: It makes me so SO happy that you think my story is "beautifully written!" My goal is to make you guys feel what Lloyd feels, so I am ECSTATIC that I seem to be succeeding! ^-^ And, yes, dishes are the worst :/ Yes, please feel free to send any ideas you have my way! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Lia: It is reward enough to know that my stories could make you smile AND that my Lloyd butters your biscuit XD I loved Morro in the show as well, but I thought he deserved more screen time to expand his character, and I've come to love him more as a result, so I'm so happy the same happened for you! :D Yeah, considering my other (somewhat more dramatic) stories, I thought the high school AU would be a fun change of pace, so thank you so much for giving it a chance! :D And, RIGHT?! I mean, doesn't Lloyd deserve to just have a normal family for once?! ;-; I'm so glad you enjoyed the little detail about Cole and Ultra Violet XD I (obviously) think it's genius too XD Zane and Pixal are probably the most healthy couple in the whole show, and it's fun to get to show them just being a couple :3 YES! Two-faced is *exactly* what I'm going for with Morro, which we'll see more this chapter ;D Thank you SO MUCH for this lovely, LOVELY review! :D**

**Jens: Haha, we'll see Harumi this chapter, and I hope you're right about Morro's bright side for Lloyd's sake XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Crystal moon: What can I say?! You know I love our favorite characters suffering! :D Ah, interesting ;D We'll see Harumi this chapter :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"_Lloyd_! You're still not up?! Your school starts in fifteen minutes!"

"Hngh?" Lloyd mumbled as he sat up, his mom's shrill voice wrenching him out of his dreams. And then, the true meaning of her words began to sink in. "What? Fifteen minutes? Why didn't my alarm go off?"

"Really, Lloyd, and on Morro's first day too," Misako said disapprovingly. "I'm going to have to drive you two to school so you're not late."

"Uh- okay," Lloyd said distractedly as he scrambled to find his jeans while combing a hand through his unruly hair. "Um. Sorry-"

But, Misako was already stomping down the hallway.

As Lloyd hurriedly got dressed, he couldn't help but keep glancing at his alarm clock. He was _so sure_ he had set it last night. He'd only been setting it every night for the past seven years, and he had _never_ forgotten, not once. And, yet, it didn't go off this morning. And, the little light that indicated the alarm was set was not on. In all the stress of Morro's arrival, had he forgotten?

Lloyd finally stumbled into the kitchen to see Morro, completely ready to go, sitting at the kitchen table and finishing up a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, Lloyd!" Morro greeted enthusiastically, an open and friendly smile on his face. "Sleep well?"

And, Lloyd knew.

Maybe it was the ghost of a smirk on his face. Maybe it was just the lilt of mockery that Misako was too busy digging through her purse for her keys to hear. Maybe it was the ever so slightly raised eyebrow, as if inviting a challenge. Maybe it was all three.

But, Lloyd _knew_.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Lloyd demanded, volleying back the unspoken challenge.

Morro shrugged, unruffled, as he stood and placed his bowl carefully in the sink. "I don't know your schedule. How was I supposed to assume what time you get up every morning?"

"Lloyd, don't go blaming Morro because you forgot to set your alarm," Misako admonished. "Let's go, you two. It'll be a miracle if we get there on time as it is."

The car ride was tense. Misako had a deep frown on her face as she negotiated morning traffic. Lloyd had his arms crossed, glaring out his passenger window. Morro sat quietly in the backseat, watching the scene pass outside the window.

Misako stopped in front of the school just as the tardy bell rang.

Morro hopped out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Thanks, Mrs. Garmadon!"

As soon as the door shut, Lloyd turned to his mother.

"He turned it off, Mom," Lloyd announced without preface. "He turned off my alarm."

"What?" Misako asked.

"It makes perfect sense! _He's_ not going to get in trouble for being tardy on his first day of school! But, he knows that I will!"

"Lloyd, why on earth would Morro do that?"

"Because he hates me!"

Misako massaged the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Look, Lloyd, you're already late enough as it is…"

Lloyd huffed, yanking his backpack off the floorboard. "Fine, whatever. Bye."

* * *

In history, Morro had (unfortunately) been awarded the seat directly in front of Lloyd, and the younger teen tuned out Coach Dareth's "lecturing" as he stared a hole in the back of his foster brother's head.

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Lloyd had simply forgotten to set his alarm. Maybe he _thought_ he had set it, but he hadn't pushed the button in all the way. _That_ made more sense than Morro maliciously causing Lloyd to wake up late for school…

Right?

The bell rang, and the class as a whole was prompted into motion, rustling as they stood and grabbed their backpacks.

"Don't forget your papers due at the end of the month, my precious minnows!" Coach Dareth called as his students shoved each other through the doorway.

"So… lunchtime?" Morro asked Lloyd as they ambled down the hall.

"Yeah," Lloyd replied, adjusting and readjusting his grip on the backpack as he drifted a safe distance away from Morro. "You can, um, meet all my friends now. And eat with us. Obviously."

"Cool," Morro replied, nodding. Lloyd led him to the cafeteria and immediately spotted the table near the center where he and his friends always sat.

He had warned the others about Morro's… unconventional appearance, but that didn't stop them from ogling the new kid as he sauntered into the cafeteria at Lloyd's side.

Lloyd took a calming breath as he approached, grateful to feel like he finally had people on his side, before starting introductions.

"Everyone, this is Morro," he said, gesturing to the older teen. "Morro, this is Kai, Nya- they're brother and sister. Cole, Jay- Nya's boyfriend. Zane and Pixal- they're together. Sit anywhere you want."

Morro greeted everyone with that phony grin of his before taking his seat beside Kai- where Lloyd normally sat. The younger teen was relegated to the end of the bench on Morro's other side.

"Nice to meet you, Morro," Cole greeted cordially. "How you liking Ninjago City High so far?"

The other boy shrugged. "Eh, algebra is algebra wherever you go, right?"

They laughed, and Lloyd barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes.

"What school did you previously attend, if you do not mind me asking?" Zane interjected politely as he snapped a cookie in half and gave one of the halves to Pixal.

"Pfft, I can't even remember all the schools I've been to anymore. I've been moving around ever since my parents died."

A morose hush fell over the table. Jay was shooting a frantic look at Cole in a silent plea for guidance while Cole only shrugged in response.

"Ah, didn't mean to make you guys feel uncomfortable," Morro continued gently. "It's okay. They died in a car crash when I was a baby. I don't even remember them."

The others offered their condolences and shared stories about the loss of their own parents- the mothers of Cole, Zane, and Pixal had all passed. Jay told Morro how he was adopted, and one would have to be blind not to see the thin spiderwebs connecting all of them at the table were forming, binding them together.

Except Lloyd's mind was racing.

_A car crash?_

Last night, Morro had said his parents had died in a _fire_. Plus, now he was claiming he had no memory of his parents, and yet somehow last night he had been able to recall his mom's spaghetti?

Then again, maybe it made sense. Maybe they were in a car crash and the car caught on fire. Maybe Morro didn't remember his parents except for a few random memories, like his mom's spaghetti. After all, what was Lloyd supposed to do? Question Morro and accuse him of lying about his _dead-_

"Hi, guys."

That… that sweet and noble voice could only belong to one person.

Lloyd raised his eyes from his sandwich, mentally preparing himself for his gaze to land on someone that he was so unworthy of beholding…

_Harumi_.

Ultra Violet was standing next to her as the most popular girl in school placed a conciliatory pudding cup in front of Cole ("to make up for yesterday") while Killow and Mr. E stood off to the side. Harumi's deep hazel eyes passed gracefully over the rest of the teens at the table, accompanied by an easy smile, and just as they reached Lloyd, and he was sure she would feel the same spark he did every time he so much as thought about her-

She did a double take.

And, stared directly at Lloyd's new foster brother.

"M-Morro?"

Morro blinked slowly, and then a smile grew on his face.

"Rumi."

_R-R-R-Rumi?_

_Rumi?_

_RUMI?!_

"You look good," Morro continued. His black eyes skimmed up and down her body, and Lloyd could have punched him.

She smirked playfully. "So do you."

She offered a little wave and then sauntered off with her clique, as if she did not just have an extremely weird exchange with a random kid.

"You know Harumi?" Nya asked. Her raised eyebrows matched pretty much everyone else's in the group.

"We were in the same foster home once," Morro offered, shrugging.

Lloyd's eyes could not have bugged farther out of his head.

"Were you guys, like…," Kai trailed off, struggling to find the words. "You know. A thing?"

Lloyd couldn't tell if it was a good or a bad thing that he wasn't the only one that had noticed the unresolved sexual tension in the air.

Then, he decided it was definitely a bad thing when Morro bobbed his head. "Yeah, we dated for a little while, if that's what you mean."

That's it.

Lloyd was going to punch him.

The lunch bell is the only thing that saved Morro from a set of knuckles colliding with his face (though Lloyd was sure he wouldn't have actually gone through with it.)

As his foster brother swung his leg over the bench, Lloyd sighed. "Meet me in front after school, and we'll walk over to Wu's."

Morro was already walking away but waved a hand over his shoulder to show he heard.

"I like him," Cole announced, already three-fourths done with the pudding cup that had been gifted to him. "You lied about him being an emu, though."

"_Ugh_!" Lloyd groaned, stomping off to his next class as his friends laughed behind him.

* * *

"He seriously doesn't even have a TV?" Morro complained, slamming both combat boots on the kitchen table as he leaned on the back two legs of his chair.

Lloyd glared at the boots settled right in front of his face as he bent over his homework. The walk to Wu's house had been appropriately awkward- at least for Lloyd. Morro had looked like he had not one thought rattling around his head and simultaneously like he had more thoughts in his head at any given moment than Lloyd had ever thought in his whole life.

Inscrutable didn't even begin to describe him.

"You could do your homework," Lloyd suggested after an exasperated sigh. He tried to refocus his gaze on the math homework in front of him, but aside from Morro being distracting in general, he still couldn't get a certain girl- that Morro _knew_\- out of his head.

"What part of 'high school dropout' didn't you understand?" Morro demanded, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned even more precariously in his chair.

"You know my parents aren't going to let you just drop out," Lloyd snapped, tightening his grip on his pencil. His glare intensified as he scrutinized his homework. "The second they get a call about you not doing any homework, you'll be grounded until your grades come up."

Morro shrugged.

Lloyd gaped. One disapproving look from his dad was enough to make Lloyd drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness, but Morro just… didn't _care_? Felt none of the pressure that Lloyd did when it came to school?

Lloyd almost envied the nonchalance.

He was ruminating on this, eyes dropping down to his homework once again, when Morro suddenly cried out and nearly kicked him in the face with the combat boot that was resting on the table.

Looking up, he saw Wu had snuck silently into the kitchen like a cat, and with one hand resting on the back of Morro's precariously leaning chair, he'd made the older teen nearly fall backward, pinwheeling his arms to keep his balance.

Lloyd laughed at Morro's wide black eyes, finally looking for _once_ like he was not the one in control, before Wu pushed Morro's chair forward so all four legs slammed back onto the ground.

"I would advise against sitting in your chair like that," Wu said calmly, as if he had not played a part in Morro's near death experience. "You could fall."

Morro glared at the old man as he painfully unfolded his legs from where they were caught against the table. Lloyd helped himself to another laugh at Morro's expense.

Wu raised an eyebrow at the older teen as he moved past them, setting the porcelain teapot Lloyd could recall within the haze of his earliest memories of Uncle Wu's house on an open flame.

"I find it hard to believe you have not been assigned any homework, Morro, especially considering you enrolled in the middle of the year."

Lloyd smirked. _Finally_.

Morro shrugged. "I already finished it."

"Is that so?" Wu asked, his eyebrow arching even farther. Lloyd held his breath, eyes darting back and forth as if he were at a tennis match, but Morro didn't even flinch in the face of Wu's skepticism.

Wu turned back to his teapot. "Very well."

Lloyd dropped his pencil.

Morro blinked, but then noticing Lloyd's surprise, he grinned, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair as if to say, "_Your move._"

Wu poured himself his cup of tea and then whistled as he ambled out of the room, like this had been a _successful_ conversation with the new foster kid rather than a nonsensical exchange of vagueness.

Lloyd dropped his green eyes back to his math homework, cheeks burning even though- _really_\- he hadn't done anything wrong.

Lloyd only got three out of fifteen math problems done on his homework after that, since Morro had taken it upon himself to start rifling through Wu's cabinets and making snarky comments about the things he found. In all honesty, it seemed like he was bored, and Lloyd could barely stop himself from pointing out that doing homework was a way to keep the boredom at bay.

When Wu eventually reentered the room, he blinked at Morro searching through his cabinets without permission. The edgy teen must have heard the old man walk in but defiantly kept his back turned.

_Of all the foster kids in the world, why did I have to get _this_ one?_

Wu sighed, dropping a stack of papers on the kitchen table near where Lloyd was working.

"What's up, Uncle Wu?" Lloyd asked, rolling his pencil between his fingers. He'd had to stop himself from doodling Harumi's name in the margin, since the mortification that would follow from Morro learning about his _tiny_ crush would probably be unbearable.

"Your father and I have been wanting to redesign the logo of our dojo, but we seem to be having trouble agreeing on a design," Wu explained, gesturing to the various sketches strewn across the table: stick figures doing martial arts, more abstract symbols, a W and a G overlapping each other.

The old man's eyes flicked to Morro, who was rifling through the medicine cabinet more quietly. Lloyd furrowed his brow but said nothing.

"If you have any ideas, Lloyd, please feel free to let me know," Wu said, winking at his nephew with a knowing smile.

Lloyd was still ruminating on the encounter, still rolling his pencil between his fingers, when several minutes later Morro sat down at the table again. He covertly glanced at the example sketches before opening his backpack (that was conspicuously absent of the large majority of school supplies Lloyd's mother had bought for him) and taking out a sketchbook.

The next time he looked up, it looked like Morro was drawing a flower of some sort.

_Huh_, Lloyd thought, scratching an H into his paper before hurriedly erasing it. Somehow the person who knew Morro least had had the most success finding out how he worked.

* * *

**Sooo, Lloyd's gotten a *tiny* taste of Morro, and news flash: he's bitter and sooo salty XD**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this update! Thank you so much for reading! :D**


	4. Regret

**Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm a little bit later than expected this week! I've started school again, but things are going pretty okay so far! :D I really hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! :D**

**WARNING! Implied abuse and self-harm! Please be aware of the content before you read!**

**Special thanks to: KyraPlays, GlaceonSnow, SheaAndDove, NaninaDaPanda, Katla1, Bookkeeper2004, NinjagoGeek4EVER, ****The-Aroace-Queen-in-the-Quiver, RandomDragon2.0, Kifo Entiegon, RandomIsCJ, Dyphen, Lea Hence, Sandy-Ocelot, GameCubeGirl1, Guest, Crystal Moon, TheYellowNinja, JBomb217, Rick Riordan1, Israa, WindNinja333, ninjaloser, and MasterOfMusic139 for reviewing! You don't know how much they mean to me! :D**

**Replies to guest reviews:**

**Guest: Morro doesn't seem to be telling the whole truth, so *maybe* Lloyd's suspicion is justified ;D And, you know Wu has to be crytic in any universe he's in XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Crystal Moon: Yes! Morro and Harumi! :3 And, don't worry, we'll definitely see Lloyd and Kai bonding! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**TheYellowNinja: Morro is sooo salty! And, Lloyd is just so good and pure that he just doesn't know what he's in for ;-; Me too! I am like incapable of holding a grudge, and I don't think I could ever REALLY punch someone! :/ "Rumi!" XD Totally blindsided Lloyd ;-; Wu IS very perplexing, and we will DEFINITELY see the rivalry grow ;D How's school going!? I hope you're not too stressed! Ooh, birds! How cute! Thank you so so much for this lovely review! :D**

**JBomb217: SAME! So many times I've missed out on my alarm because of that ;-; I LOVE Zane and Pixal (they're just so pure ;-;) And, Morro's being pretty mysterious about his past! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Rick Riordan1: Morro is like the saltiest being on the planet XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Israa: Aw! I'm so so glad that a new story of mine could make you so excited! :D And, you odn't know how happy it makes me to know that you think I can retain everyone's personalities, even in this AU because that is a TOP priority :D Thanks for asking! I've been pretty busy, but overall really great! :D I LOVED Season 8 so much! It was really jam-packed and crazy, but just so awesome! I've already watched Season 9 on YouTube (don't tell anyone! ;D) but I loved that one a lot too! :D I really, REALLY hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations! :D**

* * *

"I'm telling you, Dad! He stole twenty dollars from me!"

"Lloyd," Garmadon punched the bridge of his nose. "Morro has been here for two weeks now, and yet you're _still_ making these ridiculous accusations!"

"They're not ridiculous!" Lloyd fumed. He had finally managed to get his father alone in the garage as soon as he got home from the dojo, away from Morro's ears. "He _was_ the one who slashed the tire on my bike!"

"You could have easily driven over a nail."

"Well, he broke my laptop."

"I saw you knock it off your desk, Lloyd."

"Because _he's_ the one that put it right on the very edge on top of my homework, which he _knew_ I would grab and knock it off."

"Are you even listening to yourself?"

"Fine, then what about the money?" Lloyd insisted at his father's back as it passed from the garage into the kitchen. "How do you explain that away?"

"Oh, speaking of money," Misako, who'd only heard the last part of the conversation, spoke up from in front of the oven. "Lloyd, I found a twenty in your pants pocket when I was doing the laundry. I put it on the kitchen table for you."

And, there it was. The green bill staring up at him from the table top, the eyes of one of the more famous emperors of Ninjago even more accusatory than his dad's.

"Dad-"

"No, Lloyd," Garmadon snapped, crossing his arms (that were still corded with muscle despite his age.) "_Enough_ with these games. I know you're unhappy with Morro being here, but I really expected you to be more mature than this."

"But-"

"No. I don't want to hear another peep from you until dinner," Garmadon ordered lowering his authoritative chin with the air of someone who knew his orders were going to be followed.

Lloyd almost couldn't hold his tongue, which surely would have started a fight that he most definitely wouldn't have won. Instead, he turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs. He was so mad he'd even forgotten to take the money with him.

Morro was sketching in his sketchbook on his bed when Lloyd burst into the room.

"You put the money back in my pocket," Lloyd stated. "You took it and then you put it back, all so you could make me out to be the bad guy."

Morro blinked his big doe eyes. "Whatever are you talking about?"

Lloyd wanted to scream.

Instead he threw himself on his bed (since his dad didn't want to hear a peep from him anyway.) He whipped out his phone, determinedly _not _looking at the psychopath that was his roommate, and started scrolling through social media and-

Stopped.

Kai had posted a picture five minutes ago. Of himself, Nya, Jay, Cole, and Zane. They were all holding up smoothies for the camera. Smoothies? They had all gotten smoothies?

Without him?

Was it just because they didn't want Morro tagging along? No, they all _adored_ Morro, couldn't get _enough_ of Morro. Because the visibly emo teen was a perfect gentleman around Lloyd's friends and parents: charming, friendly, talkative, sympathetic.

And, yet the moment they were alone, the mask dropped. Lloyd didn't know why he was the only one that got to see Morro's true face, but it had to be for the sole purpose of tormenting him.

So, Lloyd's friends had simply… gone without him. They hadn't even _asked _him, and then they had the nerve to brazenly post online about it, as if Lloyd wouldn't see it.

He had meant to text Kai for advice on the Morro situation. Instead, he kept scrolling through his feed, his cheek pressed uncomfortably against his mattress. He didn't bother moving his head, though.

* * *

Lloyd had avoided his friends in the morning, had barely spoken two words to anyone. He drove his now fixed bike to school and didn't offer Morro a ride. Besides, he didn't want to see Harumi approach Morro in the hallway and flirtatiously try to strike up a conversation with him. It somehow made it worse that Morro seemed to be rebuffing her. Not only was Morro stealing the love of Lloyd's life, but he didn't even have the courtesy to be _grateful_ that someone as wonderful and gorgeous as Harumi was showing interest in him. Vaguely, Lloyd wondered if Morro had been the one to break off the relationship so long ago.

Either way, he couldn't avoid the other boy forever, not when he sat right behind him in history class. He glared at the back of the head of the person ruining his life until Morro laid his head on his desk, presumably to sleep. Lloyd saw it as a victory.

The bell rang, and Coach Dareth raised his hands to stop the class from leaving. "Turn in your reports on the way out, my sterling scholars!"

Morro didn't move, and Lloyd saw it as a _definite_ victory. Morro would no doubt fail the class for not bothering to do this major book report, while Lloyd had written the _greatest_ report on-

On-

He searched through every page of his binder.

He took out everything in his backpack, every miscellaneous paper, pencil, book.

He searched through his binder again.

"What are you looking for?"

Lloyd looked up to see Morro with that same smirk on his face.

"You-" Lloyd sputtered, staring in wide-eyed disbelief at his violated binder lying open on his desk. "You- _You_-"

Morro raised an eyebrow. "I what?"

Lloyd couldn't even bring himself to speak. He stuffed everything back into his backpack without caring how it landed inside, not caring if pages were ripped or book covers were creased. He almost ripped the zipper off with how much force he yanked it closed and then stood up, stomping toward the front of the class.

Coach Dareth held his hand out expectantly at the door. "Your paper, Lloyd?"

"I don't have it."

Coach Dareth blinked. "Oh." He rubbed his chin. "Well, I know you're a good kid, Lloyd, but I can't give you any special treatment. If you turn it in tomorrow, the highest I can give you is a seventy."

A seventy. At best. Most likely a D on his paper if not an F.

He knew he shouldn't look. He _knew_. But, he couldn't help but glance back at Morro one more time.

The foster kid smiled sweetly back at him and offered a little wave.

Lloyd didn't know where he was going after that. He certainly couldn't go to the cafeteria. Not where Morro would be. Not where his "friends" would be, his friends who clearly didn't even want to be around him if they were sneaking off to hang out without him.

He wandered around the empty hallways for most of the lunch period, his stomach too knotted and tight to eat even if he wanted to. Eventually, he found himself curled up on the front steps of the school. He laid his head on his knees. He had never felt more alone in his entire life.

* * *

"Lloyd."

Lloyd kept drifting toward the bike rack, spotting his bike still chained to the rack so at least he still had that- unless Morro had slashed the tires again. Or maybe he'd broken the mirrors this time or ripped out the engine. Maybe he'd-

"Lloyd!"

He felt someone grab his backpack and yank him backward slightly. Belatedly, he turned around to see Kai, breathing somewhat heavily as he fisted his hand in Lloyd backpack.

"Lloyd, what's wrong?" Kai demanded. "You ditched us at lunch, and now you're ignoring me. Are you trying to avoid us or something?"

"_I'm_ trying to avoid _you_?" Lloyd repeated incredulously. "_You're_ the ones that are avoiding me! I mean, you go and get smoothies without me, and then you _post_ about it online-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Kai held his hands up. "_You're_ the one who said you didn't want to come, remember?"

"What? No, I didn't. You never asked me."

"We asked Morro and he said-"

"Morro." Even when the foster kid was nowhere to be found, here he was, infecting every part of Lloyd's life. "You asked Morro."

"Yeah, we- Wait, Lloyd, where are you going?"

Lloyd was already unchaining his bike. By the time he'd walked it off the sidewalk, he was already mid-jump. He revved the engine and sped out of the school parking lot, leaving Kai as a receding little red dot in his rearview mirror.

Isolating him from his friends. Making him look like an idiot in front of his parents. Purposely tanking his grade, messing with his things, taking his stuff, turning the safe haven of his house into a place where he always had to be looking over his shoulders, always had to attend things that were too valuable to risk being tampered with.

Morro was just turning onto the walkway in front of Wu's house by the time Lloyd got there.

He greeted Lloyd cheerfully as he parked his bike.

"Hey! How's it-"

Lloyd strode across the lawn in the span of a couple of seconds. The second he was within arm's length, he grabbed the collar of Morro's shirt, yanking him forward.

"What is your problem with me?" Lloyd growled, shaking Morro. "Why are you trying to make my life a living hell?"

Morro glared at the very slightly shorter boy. "I don't know what you're-"

"_Don't play dumb_!" Lloyd shook Morro again for good measure before pushing him away and pointing a threatening finger at him instead. "You broke my laptop, you stole my money, you're going to make me fail my class, and you're stealing my friends! Are you really so pathetic that you have to-"

Lloyd gasped when he felt two solid hands slam into his chest.

Morro's voice was low. "Don't start something you can't finish."

Lloyd clenched his fists, stalking forward. "If you don't quit messing with me, I'll-"

Morro stepped forward, meeting Lloyd head on so they were barely six inches apart. "You'll what? Hit me? C'mon, hit me. I dare you."

Lloyd searched Morro's face that was as hard as steel. His fist trembled. He wanted to. He _wanted_ to.

He let out a slow, long breath like his dad taught him. His hand relaxed. No. He couldn't.

Morro sneered. "Yeah. That's what I thought." He turned his back on Lloyd, clearly signalling that the younger boy was no longer a threat. "Who's pathetic now?"

"Morro."

Morro turned back-

Lloyd's fist slammed into his face.

Morro stumbled back a few steps, nearly tripping over his own backpack before he caught himself.

The two of them stood in shocked silence for a moment. Then, slowly, Morro raised a hand to his face, gingerly touching the blood just starting to bubble out of his split lip.

He stared down at the spot of crimson on his fingertips, as if unsure where it came from.

Finally, Morro spoke.

"You," he wiped his hand on his jeans, "are going to regret that."

Before Lloyd could react, Morro's fist was plunging hard into his stomach, all the way through to his spine. He bent over, grabbing for his injury, when Morro's knuckles collided with his face, causing white hot sparks to explode behind his right eye.

Instincts kicking in now, he dashed forward, tackling Morro around the middle so the older boy slammed onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. Lloyd leapt on top of him, delivering one, two more punches to his face-

Morro grabbed his shirt, wrestling him to the side so he could crawl out from under Lloyd. Stabbing his elbow into Lloyd's ribs, he scrambled to punch Lloyd in the face yet again, but he only managed to land a glancing blow due to the younger boy's struggling.

Lloyd fisted his hands in Morro's shirt, trying now only to keep his opponent as far away as possible. Morro lunged closer, aiming yet again for Lloyd's face-

"Stop this at _once_!"

Lloyd gasped as Morro was bodily dragged off of him. Through the throbbing in his right eye, he recognized Wu's arms locked tightly around Morro's bucking form as he pulled the boy off of Lloyd.

Lloyd pushed himself onto his elbows as Wu threw Morro to the ground.

"Now," Wu said. He took a deep breath. "Are you finished?"

"Uncle Wu-"

"He started-"

"Are. You. Finished?"

The teen boys glared at each other before muttering something that sounded affirmative.

"Good," Wu said.

Then he said the words that were the only things guaranteed to strike fear into Lloyd's heart.

"Then, it's time to call your father."

* * *

"I am just in awe of the depths of stupidity the two of you have stooped to," Garmadon went on, pacing back and forth in front of the couch that Morro and Lloyd were currently camped out on opposite sides of, as far away from each other as possible.

Lloyd knew he was in for it, since Garmadon had had to come home from the dojo and his mother had been forced to send her last student home early, but this had to be the longest lecture he had ever sat through.

It didn't help that the bag of ice pressed against his blackening eye was doing little to ease the pain. His ribs cried out in protest every time he pressed too hard against the armrest.

His pain was only eased by seeing the wad of bloody tissues held against Morro's nose. They shouldn't have bothered with the tissues, though; Morro's shirt collar had already absorbed so much blood that the top would have to go in the trash anyway.

"I had trusted you two to work out your differences like adults, but now I see you want to be treated like children. You're both grounded for the time being," Garmadon sighed, crossing his arms. "Misako's talking to your social worker on the phone now, Morro. She'll be coming over as soon as possible to assess the situation. If she feels that we are no longer a good fit for you, I'm afraid that you will be moved to another family."

Morro wiped his face one last time now that he'd finally stopped the bleeding. He pushed off of the couch and stalked out of the room without being dismissed.

"Fine by me."

Lloyd couldn't bring himself to meet his father's eyes. He stared at the hand in his lap with his one good eye and tenderly readjusted the ice pack.

"Lloyd," Garmadon said, his baritone voice pressing down on Lloyd like the gravity had suddenly been increased tenfold. "I'm disappointed in you."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Lloyd found himself arguing. "You wouldn't believe me-"

"So, this is how you choose to convince me?" Garmadon demanded. "You engage in a physical fight with the boy we have promised to care for in order to purposely get him removed from our home."

When he put it like_ that_, it sounded pretty awful. Not that Lloyd had consciously been thinking that at the time- all he'd wanted was to finally see Morro like he wasn't _winning_ at something- but he couldn't deny that having Morro moved out of his house was still an appealing, if unintended consequence. "Well, no-"

"Congratulations, Lloyd. You've gotten what you wanted," Garmadon stated. "Go to your room. And, I better not hear any fighting."

Lloyd wasted no time in scurrying away from his father's ultra sharp gaze. Guilt was crashing into him in waves… but had it really been his fault?

No way! Morro had been the one torturing Lloyd from day one. Morro was the one who had taunted Lloyd into punching him. Morro was the one who had brought this on himself, not Lloyd. He had no reason to feel guilty.

He pushed the door open to his bedroom-

Scars.

Morro's back was mottled with scars: little white ones, long arching pinkish red ones. One particularly huge scar curved along the entire length of his back, almost resembling a snake-

Morro turned on his heel, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Ever heard of knocking?!"

Lloyd could only watch as Morro pressed the bloody shirt he had just taken off to his bare chest self-consciously. It was the first time he'd ever seen his foster brother look vulnerable, and Lloyd found himself wondering if Morro was hiding more scars on his chest.

Then, his eye dropped to Morro's bare arm. Belatedly, he lowered the arm holding the ice to his right eye.

One long scar trailed from elbow to wrist. It was ugly and wide; clearly it had been deep and serious. The line was straight, parallel with the bone.

Intentional.

Seeing Lloyd's wandering gaze, Morro quickly wrapped his arms around his chest, still holding the shirt and hiding the inside of his forearms from view. He blew past Lloyd.

Lloyd didn't move until he heard the bathroom door slam shut and the shower turn on.

Dazedly, Lloyd drifted over to his bed. He sat on the edge of it. Thoughtfully, he lifted the ice to his eye once again.

Had he ever seen Morro wearing short sleeves? Every image he could recall of Morro involved a long sleeve t-shirt or that ever present black jacket. Even at night, Morro arms were never bare. He always hid them.

Just like he always hid his back.

Like the scar on his arm, so many different scars squeezed into one place couldn't be an accident.

Someone had done that to him.

Someone had _hurt_ him.

Lloyd had spent so long being annoyed that the foster kid was coming that he had never stopped to ask where he was coming from.

* * *

**UH OH! I'd love to know how you guys felt about this chapter! Thank you so much for reading! :D**


	5. It's the Only Thing That's Mine

**Hi, everyone! I'm not dead! XD**

**I'm so sorry that I didn't update last week! I got a *little* bit run over by school, BUT here I am again!**

**WARNING! This chapter mentions abuse, self-harm/suicide, and drug use! PLEASE be aware of the content before you read!**

**Special thanks to: ninjaloser, The-Aroace-Queen-in-the-Quiver, LunaPikazard12, KatTheGracefulKlutz, RandomDragon2.0, KyraPlays, NaninaDaPanda, Dyphen, Lea Hence, Bookkeeper2004, GameCubeGirl1, JBomb217, TheYellowNinja, Lia, Crystal Moon, Israa, SheaAndDove, WindNinja333, Sandy-Ocelot, PrairieSkies, MarySue9084, Anonymous, Rick Riordan1, Katla1, Jens, MasterOfMusic139, and LucyBrick123 for reviewing! :D**

**Replies to guest reviews:**

**JBomb217: Yay! Knowing the reader's care about my writing is SUCH an honor! :D Thank you so so much! :D**

**TheYellowNinja: Toxic probably is the best word to describe Morro XD Buuut, Lloyd's definitely conflicted about the whole thing anyway :/ I'm sooo glad that you could feel his frustration! :D I'm so glad school's going well so far, even if it is crazy! I feel pretty much the same way -_-; Good luck to you too, and thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Lia: OH, I'm so glad you could feel the tension in the scene! And, yeah, I don't think anyone can really blame Lloyd after everything Morro's done to him :/ I'm so glad you're brain dead! XD Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! :D**

**Crystal Moon: OH MY GOODNESS! You summed up both of Lloyd's and Morro's inner struggles so perfectly! You got everything that I wanted you to get from! To hear that my writing is just as engaging as ever is SO gratifying, since this is my first try at a story that's so different from what I usually write! Thank you so so much for sticking with me all this time! :D**

**Israa: The tension was definitely bound to explode sooner rather than later! Buuut, now that we've gotten *past* that explosion, hopefully we can move on :D Thank you so much for all of your wonderful compliments! You'll never know how much they mean to me :D**

**Anonymous: Of course I remember you! You reread this chapter AND Lost Soul?! Thank you so so much for the encouragement! It really is such an honor for me :D**

**Rick Riordan1: I'm so glad this chapter hit you right in the feels! That's where I was aiming! XD Thank you, thank you so much! :D**

**Jens: You've definitely hit the nail right on the head with all their problems! XD Thank you so so much for your lovely review! :D**

* * *

"Here's my paper, Coach Dareth."

"Tha- ye_ouch,_ what happened to your face?"

Lloyd had already heard the question twenty seven times before, but he tried not to feel self-conscious about the ugly purple blotch blanketing his right eye. He smiled a strained smile. "You should see the other guy."

It was true; Morro had probably gotten off worse in the visible injury department. His nose was bruised, and both of his eyes had darkened somewhat as a result, not to mention the split lip. Now, though, Lloyd got no satisfaction from it.

If Morro had been in class today, even someone as dense as Coach Dareth probably could have put two and two together and realized that he was "the other guy" Lloyd had referred to. As Lloyd headed back to his seat, though, he couldn't help but stare at the empty seat in front of his own desk. He knew Morro had left for school this morning, but where he was now was anybody's guess. They had barely talked last night (the dinner table was suitably awkward), and this morning…

"_Morro!" Lloyd had called, grabbing his left wrist on the sidewalk outside his house to keep Morro from walking away. "We need to-"_

"_What?" Morro had snapped, aiming a glare at Lloyd that was poisonous enough to make Lloyd want to swallow his tongue. "What do we need to do?"_

_Not knowing exactly what to say, Lloyd turned Morro's hand over so his forearm was facing the sky and yanked up his jacket sleeve. The big ugly scar was left staring them both right in the face, startlingly present against Morro's pale skin._

_Morro jerked his arm out of Lloyd's grasp and hurriedly pulled the cuff of his sleeve back down to his wrist._

"_What about it?" He snarled._

"_I just…," Lloyd shrugged helplessly. "If you want to talk-"_

"_To you?" Morro laughed derisively. "Me talk to you? You wouldn't understand a word I said. You don't know what it's like, with your perfect house and your perfect parents and your perfect life." Morro looked Lloyd up and down before shaking his head and laughing again. "No. You wouldn't understand a word I said."_

He had seen Morro talking to the pack of known stoners- Wrayth, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer- from time to time, so he was probably off somewhere getting high with them. Lloyd probably would have been bothered by that fact before, but now it all just seemed irrelevant. After class, Lloyd went to the library instead of the cafeteria, not sure he had the energy to deal with all of the questions his friends would surely volley his way.

Unfortunately, he didn't get off as easily as yesterday.

"Alright, Lloyd," Kai announced, tossing his backpack into the chair beside Lloyd. "We need to- _what happened!?"_

"I got into a fight with Morro," Lloyd mumbled, turning his face away, as if that would deter the relentless teen.

"He _hit_ you?" Kai clarified. Clenching his teeth, he started angrily pacing. "Why, that-! I'll get him back for you-"

"No, Kai. I started it."

"You… what?"

"I started…," Well, was that true? Hadn't Morro started it with his mockery and covert declarations of war? "I threw the first punch," Lloyd said instead.

Somewhat simmered down now, Kai sank suspiciously into the chair beside Lloyd, throwing his backpack carelessly on the ground. "... why?"

Now. Now was his chance to tell Kai about everything Morro had been putting him through, hiding his things and stealing and lying- the _lying_ was the worst part- and surely the fact that Lloyd had been willing to start a fight proved his sincerity!

But, he couldn't find any of the words.

"It… doesn't really matter now," Lloyd said, his words coming out clunky and wrong feeling in his mouth. "The thing is… I don't know what to do now. Morro's social worker is coming tomorrow, and if I tell her that I don't want Morro here anymore, then he'll probably get moved to another home."

Kai nodded along as Lloyd spoke. He was somewhat self-centered, but Kai knew when his friends needed help and he was always the first to offer it. "Okay… But… isn't that what you wanted? I mean, you two clearly don't get along. Maybe it's for the best."

"But…," Lloyd bit his lip. He ran his hands through his blonde hair that he'd barely bothered to comb this morning. "Okay, you can't tell anyone else. I don't think Morro wants anyone to know."

"Know what?"

"He has… a ton of scars. And, I mean, a _ton_ of scars." Lloyd rubbed his eye tiredly, then cringed in pain when he pressed too hard on his injury. "I think he's… you know. Been abused."

"Oh…," Kai looked down. "Wow."

"And, he said his parents died when he was little, right?" _Maybe_, Lloyd reminded himself. There was still that pesky little problem of Morro contradicting his own story. "So, that means one of his old foster parents probably did it, right?"

"Yeah, probably," Kai agreed. "But…, that doesn't mean that the one he goes to next will. Besides, you said he has a social worker. He has people he can call for help."

"But, then there's also… He also has a scar on his arm," Lloyd continued, unconsciously tracing the line up and down his left forearm. "I think… I think he tried to kill himself."

"Oh, geez…," Kai rubbed his forehead. "But, Lloyd, even if he is suicidal, that doesn't automatically make him your responsibility."

"But, if I send him away, and he kills himself, then-"

"Lloyd. All you need to ask yourself is if you are happy with Morro being here," Kai interrupted. "Do you feel safe or not?"

Lloyd looked down at his hands. He had known what the answer to that was the first time he met Morro.

"Then, that's all the answer you need," Kai said, understanding Lloyd's silence. "Be honest with the social worker- tell her what you're scared of- but tell her that you don't want him here. That's all you can do for him."

Lloyd didn't look up from his hands. He knew Kai was probably right, so why did it feel like he hadn't done nearly all he could do for Morro?

* * *

It was going about as well as could be expected at Wu's house that afternoon. Lloyd was hyper-focused on his homework, Morro was drawing in his sketchbook, neither was looking at the other and they hadn't said a word to each other.

Finally, Morro pushed away from the table and muttered something about needing to use the bathroom (in somewhat cruder terms.)

Lloyd allowed himself a long sigh. He still had no idea what to do about the Morro situation. Maybe if he just knew more about his overall situation- where had the scars come from? How long ago had he attempted suicide? What _was_ the truth about his parents? Why did he have an unhealthy obsession with tormenting Lloyd?- then he could make a better informed decision…

His eyes dropped to the sketchbook Morro had left on the table.

According to the page Morro was flipped to, near the very back of the book, the sketchbook was nearly full. He'd probably had it for a long time. Probably recorded a lot of things in it.

It was an invasion of privacy. The very same thing he had rebuked Morro for on the first night they'd met.

But, he didn't have much time.

He grabbed the sketchbook and turned it around to face him. Keeping his thumb on the open page, he flipped back to the beginning and looked down at the first drawing.

It was staggeringly childish. A big black monster that filled up nearly the entire page. He had claws and teeth- was it done in _crayon_?- with thick black crayon outlines. There was a pool of red at his feet.

The next few drawings were just as disturbing. Big black monsters. Gore and things Lloyd could only assume were dead bodies, always with a pool of blood around the head as if killed with a headshot. And yet, clearly Morro had been very young when he had drawn these. What right did a child have to be drawing such horrible images?

As Lloyd flipped quickly through the pages, the talent of the artist got better. The pictures had more defined forms, shadows, and then depth. Slowly, the monster appeared less and less, as did the dead body- a woman's body if the later pictures did indeed depict the same body as the first. Some were sketches of mundane things, others of people (he could have _sworn_ that that girl could have been a younger version of Harumi…)

It was Morro's world. All of these houses must have been the foster homes he'd stayed in, and these people must have been the families and friends he had met along the way… and then passed by, as if he were in a speeding car that could only glimpse the scenery outside before moving on. If the frequency that different houses appeared was any indication, then Morro had never stayed in one place for very long.

Lloyd finally flipped to the most recent picture… and froze once he properly looked at it.

It was… _him_. It was a picture of Lloyd, depicted exactly as he was now: bent over his homework at Wu's kitchen table. Considering this was his most recent picture, it was also the most skilled. Morro had mastered every detail of Lloyd's clothing. His features were copied perfectly (thankfully without the black eye) and his hair sat perfectly on his head. It was-

The book was ripped out of his hands.

And, the next thing Lloyd knew, he was receiving a slap in the face.

"You had _no right_ to see that!"

Lloyd stared up at Morro who was clutching the sketchbook protectively against his chest, as if it were his child that Lloyd had been touching without permission.

"It's _mine_!" Morro reiterated when Lloyd did nothing but look back with a dumb expression.

Lloyd thought about the meager duffel bag of possessions that Morro had still not bothered to unpack. Maybe what Morro was really trying to say was, "_It's the only thing that's mine_."

Lloyd finally responded to the pain tingling in his cheek, rubbing it gingerly. "... I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have looked at it."

"Is everything alright in here?"

Lloyd and Morro both turned to see Wu walking into the kitchen.

Lloyd's cheek was still warm from the slap. Here's what he wanted. An act of aggression on Morro's part without retaliation. Surely this would shift his parents over to his side rather than having them still think this was all a temper tantrum.

But, Lloyd knew he shouldn't have looked at the sketchbook. He had provoked Morro to violence, just like Morro had provoked him to punch him the day before.

"Yeah, we're all good in here," he replied, turning back to his homework.

Wu lingered a moment longer, but when no one spoke up to refute that answer, he nodded and left the room.

Lloyd felt Morro's eyes on him for a long time after that, clearly wanting to ask a question.

Lloyd didn't look up, and eventually, Morro sat back down.

* * *

The next day, Lloyd was dragging his feet on his way home, trying to prolong the meeting with the social worker as long as possible since he still had no idea what he was going to say. He took the long way home instead of cutting through the alleyways like he usually did (when he walked. Garmadon had locked up his bike for the time being.)

The long way took him by the elementary school, and he spotted Zane walking along the opposite sidewalk beside Pixal, their joined hands swinging back and forth between them.

In front of _that, _though, was the rare sight of Pixal's twin brother, Cryptor. Lloyd had never seen more fraternal twins: Pixal's hair was so blonde as to almost be silver, while Cryptor's hair was black as crow's feathers. She was tall and graceful while Cryptor was short and stocky. Pixal was always friendly, attempting to be helpful with random tidbits of information (even when no one asked.)

Cryptor was just about as mean as they came.

Really, he looked more like his younger brother, Mindroid, who was skipping along in front of him beside Zane's younger brother, Echo.

Suddenly, Zane looked up and spied Lloyd across the street. He raised his unoccupied hand and waved, and Lloyd, hurriedly glancing both ways, dashed across the street.

"Lloyd," Zane greeted, frowning. "Are you alright? Kai mentioned that you and Morro had a physical altercation."

"A physical altercation that he apparently _lost_," Cryptor hurled over his shoulder, snickering at Lloyd's expense. Mindroid noticed this and tried to copy his brother's mocking laughter, but it only came out as a high pitched giggle, which Echo then mimicked.

"I'm okay," Lloyd replied. After dealing with Morro, Cryptor didn't seem so bad. "Hey, can I… ask you something?" He glanced sheepishly at Pixal, whose bright green eyes were peering at him intensely. "Privately?"

Pixal nodded without so much as a frown and quickly disentangled her fingers from Zane's, hurrying forward the few steps to match her brother's gait.

Zane cocked his head. "What seems to be troubling you, Lloyd?"

"Well…," Lloyd pressed his lips together, thinking about how he wanted to phrase his question. "You and Cryptor. You don't get along very well."

That was about the understatement of the year. Zane and Cryptor had been battling for the top class ranking and future valedictorian position pretty much since kindergarten, and their GPAs usually came within hundredths of each other's. While Zane was never outright hostile, Cryptor took every opportunity he had to antagonize Zane, pinching him and tripping him and even pushing him off the playground at one point.

Of course, things changed once Zane started dating Cryptor's sister.

Cryptor's sister who would tolerate no fighting between her brother and her boyfriend.

Cryptor's sister, who was one of the very few people Cryptor refused to hurt and thus was forced to obey.

Still, any time Zane and Cryptor were in the same room, it could pretty much be guaranteed that the latter was shooting a death glare at the former.

Zane chuckled. "No, I suppose we do not. Why do you ask?"

Lloyd shoved his hands into his pocket. "Why don't you hate him? I mean, he's done nothing but bully you, but you're _always _nice to him. It can't just be because of Pixal; you were nice to him even before you were dating."

Zane looked down at the sidewalk cracks passing underneath his feet, and Lloyd was glad his friend was actually putting thought into his answer.

"Some of it is because of Pixal, yes. I want to make her happy, and I know it makes her happy for two of the most important boys in her life to get along," Zane admitted, readjusting his grip on his backpack straps. "But, for the most part…"

He tilted his head back to stare up at the sky with a wistful smile on his face. "For the most part, it is because my father always taught me to protect those that cannot protect themselves. Cryptor and Pixal and Mindroid lost their mother at a very young age, and I understand how they feel. With their father at work almost constantly, Cryptor and Pixal had to fill the parental roles for Mindroid while still being children themselves, and I recognize that that can put a lot of stress on someone.

"Additionally, Cryptor has nearly crippling perfectionism, and I can only imagine the self-loathing he must feel when he believes he has failed in some way, such as when I attain a higher grade point average than he does."

Zane turned to look at Lloyd and smiled. "I suppose what I am trying to say is that, I do not believe that Cryptor knows how to protect himself from himself, and so I strive to do it for him. While I will not sacrifice my own success for his sake, it is the least I can do to be kind to him."

Lloyd shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "Even if he doesn't deserve it?"

Zane blinked. "Everyone deserves kindness."

* * *

Miss Emmy was a severe, gaunt woman. Her black hair was braided into numerous tendrils, almost reminding Lloyd of tentacles, and her dark green dress did nothing to make her appear less imposing. If Morro's less than friendly greeting was any indication, then he did not like her very much. If Miss Emmy's half-lidded gaze, as if the disappointment had made her eyelids too heavy, was any indication, then the feeling was mutual.

Lloyd remembered Kai's advice from yesterday. Miss Emmy was Morro's social worker, sure, but could Lloyd really envision the proud, independent Morro going to _her_ for help if Morro were to get into a bad situation in his next foster home?

"I would like to speak to all of you individually, please," Miss Emmy declared, getting right to the point. Her voice was deep for a woman, though not necessarily unpleasant.

Morro had his interview first, which didn't take long at all. Afterwards, he went up to his bedroom while Lloyd's parents talked with Miss Emmy and Lloyd waited in the kitchen.

Lastly, it was Lloyd's turn.

"Just be honest, sweetheart," his mother told him as he passed her on his way to the moment of truth.

Lloyd, looking no less queasy, managed a weak half-nod.

All of the anticipation couldn't have prepared him for the intimidating gaze of Miss Emmy staring him down from the armchair across the room. She had a clipboard and a pen poised over it.

"Hello, Lloyd," she greeted, though her voice was monotone and her face utterly neutral. "How would you describe your relationship with Morro?"

At the name, all that Lloyd could see was the scars that had destroyed the once smooth surface of Morro's back.

And suddenly, he heard Morro's voice on the day of their fight.

"_You'll what? Hit me? C'mon, hit me. I dare you."_

Morro wanted Lloyd to hit him because that was the only kind of relationship he knew how to have.

"_I do not believe Cryptor knows how to protect himself from himself, and so I strive to do it for him."_

"Please don't send Morro away."

Miss Emmy was a professional, but even she couldn't mask the slight widening of her eyes, the twitch of her eyebrows.

"Lloyd-"

"I started the fight. It was all my fault." Lloyd was speaking rapidly now, like he had to get all the words out before he changed his mind. "It's not fair if you send Morro away. Please give us a second chance."

Miss Emmy rested her pen against her clipboard but didn't write anything down.

"Lloyd," she began. "Please don't think that I am unaware of Morro's cruel tendencies or proficiency at manipulation. If he has threatened you in anyway or made you feel unsafe, then that is something that I need to know."

Here. Here was someone who would believe him about everything Morro had been doing to him.

But, she would also believe any lie Lloyd told her about Morro, and that was the problem.

"I want Morro here," Lloyd replied steadfastly.

Miss Emmy sighed. "Are you certain? If there's anything at all you're concerned about, now is the time to speak, Lloyd."

Lloyd took a deep breath.

"Yes," he said. "I'm sure."

* * *

"Why did you do that?"

Lloyd looked up from where he was scrolling through his phone on his bed to see that Morro had reentered the room and was now glaring down at him.

"Do what?"

"You know," Morro replied, crossing his arms. "The old hag told me that I'm not moving houses. She said I'm staying here."

Lloyd almost felt something like joy bubble up inside his chest, even though it was quickly doused by the harsh reality that that meant Lloyd would have to keep dealing with Morro indefinitely. Why had he done this again?

"The _only_ reason she would have let me stay here is if _you _told her you wanted me to," Morro explained. "So, I want to know why."

Lloyd shrugged, looking back down at his phone to hide the smirk on his face. Ah, so this was what it felt like to be the one in control. No wonder Morro was always chasing this high.

"I just thought we'd give it another chance. That's all."

Morro raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Even after all the stuff I've done to you?"

"Oh, so you admit that you really did do all those things to me and I'm not just crazy?"

"No," Morro said quickly, realizing he had messed up now. Frustrated, he fumed, "Look, if this is because of the scars, then you can just save it. I don't need any pity from you."

"It's not pity," Lloyd reassured, even though it kind of was. But, more than that, Lloyd wanted to make things right. He hadn't really given Morro a chance after all. Sure, Morro hadn't liked him from the moment they met, but Lloyd hadn't liked him from _before_ they met. Maybe if Lloyd tried to get to know him, they could work through all these petty pranks and arguments.

Maybe it was an overinflated sense of ego, but Lloyd wanted to try to be the one to break through to Morro. To save him? Maybe that was pity.

"Like I said, I just think we should give it a second try," Lloyd continued. "Is that so wrong?"

Morro's expression was severe as he looked down at Lloyd with narrow, suspicious eyes, suggesting that that was _very_ wrong. But, Lloyd looked back at him calmly and met his gaze head on.

At least he had learned _something _in these past weeks. He had to show Morro he wasn't afraid of him.

Finally, Morro took a step back and smirked. He raised a hand to his chin, rubbing his bruised jaw and split lip thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess anyone who has the nerve to throw a punch at _me_ deserves at least a little bit of respect," Morro said approvingly, as if Lloyd had passed some sort of test. "But, don't think I owe you anything."

"No," Lloyd said, turning back to his phone. He was grinning from ear to ear. He hadn't even realized he wanted Morro to respect him so much until the word popped out of his mouth like that.

Now, it felt like they were on an even playing field. Like they were _equals._

"You don't owe me anything."

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :D Hopefully I'll be able to update again pretty quick! :D**

**Thank you so much for reading! :D**


	6. What's the Catch?

**HELLO, EVERYONE! I am SO SORRY that I've been MIA for so long! This semester REALLY gave me a hard time, so I could barely even think about doing anything else. But, I am BACK, and to make up for my long absence, I am going to post TWO chapters in a row! :D**

**WARNING! Mentions of drug use! Please be aware of the content before you read!**

**Replies to guest reviews:**

**JBomb217: Haha! I'm glad you liked them! I just really wanted to incorporate the other nindroids into this universe XD Yeah, *kinda* chill definitely XD Thank you SO much for reviewing! :D**

**TheYellowNinja: UGH, school cracked down HARD on me ;-; I get what you mean about Lloyd's feelings on Morro, buuut that was kind of my intention. Really the thing that changes is that Lloyd finds out that Morro has suicidal tendencies, so he's automatically trying to fix this (while also struggling with his personal dislike of Morro). I guess what I'm trying to say is that finding out about a person's situation and where they've come from *does* change your perception of them. Zane really is a gem, isn't he? XD I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter so much!  
As for your latest review: YOU ARE SO SWEET! I can't believe it's been two years either, and I can't believe you've stuck with me from the very beginning! Knowing that you find some sort of inspiration in my writing is an absolute honor. This review came at a time when I really needed it, so just THANK YOU for not forgetting about me and being such a positive influence in my life :D Thank you so so much for everything you do and just being you! :D**

**Jens: Yeah, we'll see! ;D Haha, having kids with lasers probably wouldn't be *too* out of place in this school with all these crazy characters attending XD I'm so glad you liked the detail of Morro's sketchbook! :D Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

**Rick Riordan1: Haha! Well, it is my main purpose in life to cause you pain XD I'm so glad you like the nindroid family! I had so much fun writing them out XD Zane is QUITE floofy, isn't he? XD Thank you SO much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: RIGHT!? I want to see more of my nindroids! *Hopefully* Lloyd and Morro are headed down the right path :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Anonymous: Yay! I'm so happy that you like the way I'm writing the characters! I really wanted to challenge myself to do a slow burn in a more domestic setting (rather than the deathdefying situations of the Lost Soul trilogy XD) so I'm so glad you like it! :D AND the inclusion of the nindroid family XD I was so excited to finally include them! XD Man, I WISH I had more free time- but it makes me ABSOLUTELY ECSTATIC that you're using your newfound freedom to reread MY story! :D I'm grinning from ear to ear right now! Thank you so much! :D**

**Guest: Don't worry, I totally get it! Self-harm is a very tricky subject, and I definitely think it's annoying too when it seems to be just thrown in their for no reason. The real reason I included it is because Morro would never talk about his feelings, and it needed to be something very serious- like Morro being suicidal- for Lloyd to want to try to help the person who, let's face it, is a huge jerk. But, never be hesitant to share your true feelings on something! I want to hear your feedback! :D Morro is probably my second favorite, but no one's been able to replace Cole in my heart :3 I'm so glad you like the Lost Soul trilogy AND you think that I write them in character! Thank you SOOOO much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: Yep, you got it! Miss Emmy is the Preeminent XD Very nice job spotting that! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Ardhoniel. InfinG: Yeah, school's been really tough this semester, but I'm finally on winter break! We'll see if this will work out for our precious bois ;-; Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

**Guest: Yay! I love high school AUs too! (Obviously XD) I just think it's so interesting to see the same characters we love in new situations! XD And, I DEFINITELY wanted to include Harumi, so I'm glad you like her so much! Don't worry, we will definitely see more of her! :D And, more of Wu and Morro too! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The next day at school, Morro actually attended his history class, in which Coach Dareth asked what happened to his face. After that, though, Lloyd saw Morro slink off with some of his stoner groupies. If the way they lingered outside the classroom door and then scurried after Morro like lost puppies was any indication, then Morro had somehow already managed to install himself as king of the stoners.

Why had Lloyd wanted him here again?

Either way, Lloyd finally had lunch with his friends again. It was only after sharing the obligatory story of his epic battle with Morro that had earned him his very high profile battle scar that Cole showed up to the table with a dreamy expression on his face. Jay stumbled behind him, both hands over his eyes.

"Stop being dramatic."

"I'll never be able to unsee that!"

"What are you complaining about now, Jay?" Nya asked with affectionate exasperation, a small smile teasing her lips.

"Cole and Ultra Violet were making out in the hallway!" Jay moaned, laying his head on top of his folded arms. "Oh, my poor innocent eyeballs…"

Nya frowned admonishingly. "Cole! You got back together with her?"

Cole shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"She made you _miserable_, man!" Kai pointed out, gesturing furiously with his energy drink.

Cole rolled his eyes. "She did not make me _miserable_. Besides, we're going to try harder to make it work this time."

Lloyd suddenly had an epiphany. Even though they were talking about a romantic relationship here, he leaned forward. "What do you mean you're going to try harder? I mean, what exactly do you guys do to get along?"

Cole stabbed at his side of suspiciously ambiguous fruit with his spork. "We just promised we're going to spend more time together, really listen to what each other says, make sacrifices and do things that make each other happy."

Kai elbowed Lloyd, who managed not to shout even though that was his still bruised side. "What, are you looking for ideas for your future relationship with Harumi?"

Lloyd flushed. "_No_."

"Perhaps I am speaking out of turn, Lloyd," Pixal interjected. "But, I believe you must approach Harumi to make your intentions known instead of silently pining over her."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. Why did it always come to this topic of conversation? Maybe he should start skipping lunch with his friends more often. "Yes, thank you, Pixal."

Suddenly, though, he remembered how confident he'd felt once he had succeeded in getting Morro to stay and actually felt like he'd beaten his foster brother at something. Instead of getting rid of the problem, he was figuring out a way to overcome it.

Surely if he could do _that_, he could ask Harumi out on a date?

Lloyd pounded his fist in his opposite hand. "You know what? I'm going to do it."

A little cheer went up from the other occupants of the table.

But then, remembering how his ribs had buckled under the little pressure Kai had put on them, Lloyd raised a hand to his black eye.

"After my face heals," he quickly added.

Kai fixed him with a knowing look. "You sure you're not just stalling?"

"No!" Lloyd protested, though maybe he was a little bit. "Once my face heals, I'm going to ask her out. Mark my words."

* * *

Once again, Morro was already to Wu's lawn as Lloyd pulled up on his bike (Garmadon had been so proud of Lloyd getting Morro to stay here that he'd released the bike from its unlawful imprisonment.)

Lloyd got the usual flash of satisfaction from seeing the way Morro stared at the bike like it was the centerfold of a dirty magazine… and then he remembered he was supposed to be trying to find common ground with Morro.

He looked at the helmet he held in both his hands for a moment, staying on the bike longer than necessary.

"Hey. You coming or what?"

"Um," Lloyd looked up. "You… want a ride?"

Morro blinked. "On your bike?"

Lloyd laughed. "What else would it be on?"

Morro squinted suspiciously but slowly approached nonetheless. His gaze slipped longingly to Lloyd's bike despite the skepticism.

He stopped on the curb. Lloyd looked up at him innocently.

"You're serious?" Morro asked, planting his hands on his hips.

"Yep."

Under normal circumstances, Morro probably would have refused, but he had been eyeing that bike since day one. There was no way he could pass up an opportunity to actually ride on it.

Holding onto Lloyd's shoulder to steady himself, he swung his leg over the bike, seating himself behind Lloyd.

Lloyd tried not to feel nervous having his arch nemesis pressed against his very vulnerable back. Realizing he only had one helmet, he twisted and presented it to Morro.

Morro laughed. "Yeah, _right."_

There was no way Lloyd could wear it after_ that_, so he tossed the helmet on the ground beside his backpack.

He revved his bike. "You might want to hold on."

"I think I'll be okay."

Lloyd pulled away from the curb, leaning forward as he sped up. He guided the bike gently through the streets at first, but when he saw the upcoming corner, he grinned evilly and took it as fast as he could, leaning into the turn.

Morro yelped, and immediately wrapped both arms around Lloyd's waist, holding on for dear life. Lloyd laughed, the wind whipping the sound away from his mouth and carrying it to places unknown.

Once they had straightened again, Morro loosened his death grip but didn't completely remove his hands. Lloyd could feel Morro's heart pounding against his back as he gained speed and vaguely wondered if Morro could feel his own heart pounding in time.

The ride didn't last long- Lloyd only took Morro around the neighborhood and back- but Morro was laughing breathlessly when Lloyd finally guided the bike to a stop.

"Oh, I have _got_ to get myself one of these things!" Morro asserted as he hopped off the bike. Lloyd's back where Morro had been pressed against him was suddenly cool.

And, seeing Morro's grin, seeing him laugh easily- not maliciously but just… _joyfully_\- gave Lloyd a flash of inspiration.

"I could teach you, if you want."

Morro did a double take.

"To ride," Lloyd added unnecessarily, gesturing uselessly to the bike.

Morro narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

Lloyd was just about to automatically reply, _"no catch,"_ when he got yet another epiphany.

"You have to do your homework."

Morro blinked, then cracked a smile. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Lloyd shook his head. "Every day that you finish your homework, I'll give you another lesson on the bike."

Morro continued staring at Lloyd, still apparently waiting for Lloyd to shout "_gotcha!"_ Seeing that Lloyd was, apparently, serious, he turned on his heel.

Over his shoulder, he tossed, "Pass."

Lloyd bit his lip as he flipped the kickstand on his bike and retrieved his backpack and helmet. Morro hadn't taken the bait, but they _needed_ to spend more time together…

No. He couldn't give in now. He had learned in these past couple of weeks, and he had to prove that he was tough enough to play Morro's game.

Inside, Lloyd pointedly began working on his homework without another word about the bike. Morro was sketching, then pacing, then tried sketching again. Lloyd could feel those black eyes boring into him, trying to intimidate him into relenting on his offer and giving the bike lessons for free.

But, if he backed down now, then Morro would lose the little bit of respect he had for him.

Finally, Morro sighed and pulled out the embarrassingly thin binder that had remained mostly untouched since Misako had so excitedly bought it for him. Glaring at the math homework and then at Lloyd, he pressed his pencil as hard as he could into the paper without ripping it and began.

Lloyd smirked to himself. Morro was still winning in this weird little game they had, but Lloyd was certainly catching up.

* * *

This give and take gave and took for a week or so: the two of them would work together on their homework and then they would go outside and Lloyd would teach Morro how to ride his bike.

At times, Lloyd didn't even know if it was worth it. Sure, maybe he'd gotten Morro to do a week's worth of homework, but after all of the slacking he'd done, it wasn't like it would make a dent in his failing grade. Besides, Morro was a natural with the bike, and Lloyd wouldn't need to give him lessons for much longer.

And, maybe a little part of him would miss the easy going time he had with his foster brother. He'd even cancelled plans with his other friends so he wouldn't miss out on any of their lessons.

"_We're all getting pizza after we finish up at the library," _Nya had said over the phone. "_You sure you don't want to come?"_

"No, that's okay," Lloyd had replied. "Maybe Morro and I will catch up with you guys later."

There'd been a pregnant pause. It was weird; even though his friends had been the ones head over heels about Morro at first, after the fist fight and they'd somewhat found out about Morro's dual personality and his "extracurricular activities" (namely, getting high) they weren't so keen on him. Morro had stopped making an effort to charm them as well, since there wasn't really a point anymore.

"_Everyone in school knows he's a stoner, Lloyd."_

"He doesn't do anything like that around me." Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Besides, I think I've had enough drug awareness weeks to 'just say no.'"

Another pause. Lloyd could almost imagine Nya's worried expression as she held the phone to her ear. Usually Nya would stuff the phone between her shoulder and her head while she was working on other things simultaneously. Now, Lloyd could tell she was sitting still, holding the phone with one, if not both, hands, and that was what had broadcasted her worry to him more than anything else.

"_I'm glad you two are getting along,"_ she said eventually. "_Just be careful, okay?"_

"I will." He smiled, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Thanks, Nya."

He found himself questioning again as he hung up the phone. Was it even worth it? Maybe after all this, he still wouldn't get along with Morro. Maybe after all this, Morro would still drop out of school.

Then, he saw it.

Sitting right there on his desk was a thin packet of paper.

It was a test from Morro's remedial algebra class.

_100%_

And, under that, a smiley face beside which his teacher had written, "_Great job!_"

Morro never said a word about it. He didn't want praise or even acknowledgement. He just wanted Lloyd to _know_.

The thing was, Lloyd had already known that a mind complex enough to think up all of these sinister schemes was more than capable of passing remedial algebra if he simply applied himself.

He slipped the test into his drawer for safekeeping.

* * *

**Don't worry, the next chapter will be posted shortly!**


	7. Definitely Frowned Upon, But Not Illegal

**And, as promised, another update! I hope this makes up for my radio silence for so long! :D**

**WARNING! Mentions of abuse and self-harm! Please be aware of the content before you read.**

* * *

Lloyd straightened from where he was leaning against the bike once he saw Morro exit the school and lope toward him.

"Hey. Ready to go?" Lloyd asked. "I'm even considering letting you drive home today."

Lloyd did have an ulterior motive for the offer, though. Morro was actually a pretty good driver, but he drove too fast and was _way_ too reckless. Lloyd hoped the school zone and post-dismissal traffic would force Morro to slow down.

It also gave him more targets (namely children) to hit, but still.

Morro shrugged. His eyes were on the ground. His smirk was absent. "Can't. I've got an errand to run."

Lloyd couldn't explain the sweat prickling on his palms beyond the feeling that something was very _wrong_. Morro seemed… uncomfortable. Nervous? Could Morro _get_ nervous?

"Oh, okay," Lloyd replied eventually. "What kind of errand?"

"Nothing important."

Not "mind your own business?" No "wouldn't you like to know?" Something was definitely wrong.

"Well, where is it? I can still give you a ride."

Morro's black eyes flickered to meet Lloyd's own. "Stiix. You know the neighborhood?"

Lloyd blanched. "That's all the way across town! Of course I'm giving you a ride!" He clambered onto the bike and leaned over the handlebars, gesturing for Morro to sit down behind him. (No way was he letting Morro drive his bike _that_ far.)

Morro hesitated. Hooked his thumbs in the straps of his backpack. Shifted his weight as the rest of the students flooded around them.

"Fine," he grumbled, swinging his leg over the bike seat. "It won't take long, alright?"

"Alright," Lloyd agreed easily as he merged into the sluggish flow of cars crawling out of the school parking lot.

If it took ten minutes to get there by bike, Lloyd didn't want to imagine how long it would have taken Morro to walk there. Not to mention that he knew Stiix was a bad neighborhood. Morro could more than handle himself if the way Lloyd's face hurt anytime he thought about their fight was any indication. Still, Lloyd didn't want to imagine Morro walking here alone.

Morro murmured directions to a specific house. As Lloyd put his bike into park, he looked up at a dilapidated one-story house. What little grass the lawn had was brown, and the single tree in front looked sick and drooping. The mail box was filthy, rusted so it was permanently open and would probably snap off if he tried to force it closed. Even from here he could see the chipped white paint of the front door.

Morro hopped off the bike, nodding at the house. "You can… come in if you want."

Lloyd nodded slowly. He was already sliding off the bike seat when it occurred to him that he still had no idea what they were doing here. A drug deal? Debt collection?

Lloyd shoved his hands into the pocket of his green hoodie as Morro bent over and fished a key out from under the welcome mat that looked like it was thirty years old.

"We're not… doing anything illegal, are we?"

Morro shrugged as he unlocked the door. "Not really _illegal_. Definitely frowned upon, but not illegal."

Lloyd huffed, but he couldn't help but be grateful that Morro had regained a bit of his playfulness.

The inside of the house was about as rundown and dirty as the outside. The wallpaper was stained and peeling. Lloyd had the sudden urge to grab the edge of the paper and rip the whole thing off the wall, but he was afraid of what he'd find underneath.

What might have been a quaint living room was buried under garbage- mostly beer cans. He could glance into the kitchen from the foyer, but the sheer volume of fast food wrappers led Lloyd to believe that the kitchen hadn't been used in a while. As far as he could tell, the house was empty.

Morro seemed to know where he was going, though. He turned down the hallway and opened the first door on the left.

The bed was the only thing to suggest that it was a bedroom. No personal effects, no other furniture, not even any clothes. There was a thin blanket thrown carelessly on top of the mattress, but that was it.

"So, um… What are we doing here?" Lloyd finally asked, clasping his hands together inside the front pocket of his hoodie. "Whose house is this?"

Morro shrugged off his backpack and dropped it to the ground before he kneeled beside it. "It's mine," Morro replied casually just before his head disappeared underneath the bed, apparently looking for something.

"Huh?!" Lloyd's eyes widened. "You… You used to live here?"

"When I was a kid, yeah." Morro's voice was muffled.

"Aren't you not supposed to come back here?! At least not without your social worker?"

"Hence the 'frowned upon' disclaimer."

Morro shimmied out from under the bed, then, pulling a cardboard box along with him. It had the few toys that Lloyd had noticed missing from the bedroom; if one could call them toys. They were mostly miscellaneous objects like marbles, a fortune teller, an origami butterfly, a cheap looking bracelet that had broken in two. On top, though, was a photo album that was startling well-cared for in the midst of all this mess.

"Look, the house is about to be foreclosed on, and I had to get my stuff before it got trashed, alright?" Morro explained as he set the box on the bed. "I don't need that old hag hovering over me and asking me if I want to draw a picture of my feelings or whatever."

Lloyd had several thoughts in response to this. A, wasn't Morro's huge sketchbook proof that he did, in fact, like to draw pictures of his feelings?

B, did that mean he was okay with Lloyd hovering over him?

And C, if the house was about to be foreclosed on… who was living in it now?

"I just gotta grab one last thing before we go," Morro mumbled, heading out of the room.

"Hey, you, uh, want me to put this stuff in your backpack so you can carry it easier?"

Morro hesitated. "Yeah, okay. Sure."

Lloyd set about carefully transferring the contents of the box into Morro's still fairly empty backpack (though it was perhaps somewhat more full than before Lloyd had coerced Morro into actually doing his homework.)

He saved the photo album for last. Morro already knew from the sketchbook incident that Lloyd was nosy, right? And, if he had agreed to let Lloyd handle these things, then he must have known Lloyd was going to look at the photo album, right? It wasn't an invasion of privacy if Morro had _basically_ given him permission to look at it, right?

Unfortunately, Morro reappeared in the doorway just as Lloyd curled his fingers around the edge of the cover, and he was forced to stow it carefully in the backpack with the rest of Morro's possessions.

"Ready?" Lloyd asked, standing up with the backpack in his hands. His eyes inevitably dropped to the thing Morro had left to retrieve; it was a picture frame, one that would feel right at home on a nightstand, but the picture was facing Morro, pressed against his thigh like he was trying to keep it quiet.

Morro nodded- and suddenly there was the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Lloyd and Morro shared a startled look. Even though Lloyd didn't know who to expect coming through that door while Morro clearly did, he got the distinct feeling of being a kid that had just got caught in the middle of doing something bad. Like the time he and Kai had gotten detention for putting a stink bomb in the bathroom- which was where they had met Jay and Cole, who had started a small fire when the freckled, crying boy messed with the wiring of one of the classroom computers.

There was the fear, potent as any adrenaline in any real deathdefying situation… but there was also the sense of camaraderie, like if they were going down, at least they were going down together.

"C'mon." Morro grabbed Lloyd's wrist, ushering him out of the room.

Lloyd didn't know if they were trying to make it out of the house before whoever was coming in came in, but either way, Morro's escape plan only led to them meeting him head on in the foyer.

He was a big man. His skin was tan and weathered, like he spent all day every day in the sun. His hair was the color of steel and cropped close to his head. He blinked his black eyes slowly at them in utter confusion, as if he couldn't quite focus on them, and Lloyd vaguely wondered if he was drunk, even though it was only three thirty.

The man narrowed his bleary eyes. The door was left ajar behind him, and Lloyd hoped that it wouldn't swing shut. It it swung shut, then they'd never be able to get out of here.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, his black eyes burning into Morro like vats of tar just waiting to ignite at the first spark.

"I just came to get my stuff," Morro growled. He seemed brave, but he pressed the frame more firmly against his thigh.

"_Your_ stuff?" The man repeated incredulously, as if Morro had insulted his mother. "My house, my money, and it's _your_ stuff?"

"Yeah," Morro shot back. His voice was already weaker than it had been a minute ago. "Yeah. So just-"

His hand was fast as lightning. In an instant, the man had ripped the frame out of Morro's hand. He held the picture far from his face, trying to focus on it. Lloyd's knuckles were turning white where they gripped Morro's backpack.

The man laughed. "You came back for this? Take it. It's trash, anyway. Would've thrown it out long ago if I'd known where she hid it."

He held the picture out toward Morro- but Morro wasn't as fast as the man had been. Just before Morro's fingertips brushed the frame, the man threw it as hard as he could on the linoleum floor.

He laughed when it shattered. Morro recoiled like he'd been injured. Lloyd wanted to check and see if Morro had been cut by the glass, but he found himself frozen to the spot.

The man pointed at the cracked frame, shattered glass, and photograph that had folded over on itself, trapped underneath its prison.

"Pick it up."

Lloyd's wide eyes moved back to Morro. Normally, Lloyd would have bet his life that Morro would spit on someone before obeying a demand like that, but not this man. This man could hurt someone. This man had hurt someone.

Morro was shaking. It was almost imperceptible, but Lloyd was very close to him. The longer he waited, the more Morro's glare intensified, and Lloyd thought maybe he was shaking out of hatred rather than fear.

The man was fast again.

He hit Morro upside the head, and Lloyd gasped in horror. He probably would have dropped the backpack if his fingers hadn't locked up with how hard he was gripping it.

He pointed again at the pile of glass on the ground. "I said pick it up!"

Morro glanced at Lloyd out of the corner of his eye. Not only was he being intimidated into doing something he didn't want to do, but he also had an audience. Lloyd wanted to tell him… tell him something, something like it was okay, something like Lloyd didn't respect him any less for doing what this man told him to do. But, nothing he could say would make it better. He at least knew that much.

Trembling, Morro knelt on the ground.

The man smiled cruelly. Lloyd held his breath as, piece by piece, Morro collected up the bits of glass and wood, cupping them in the palm of his opposite hand. Once he had collected them all, he took the photograph and stuffed it into his jean pocket, as if trying to get it out of sight before the man did something even worse to it.

Still trembling, even worse than before, Morro rose slowly back to his feet.

The man moved to the side, finally revealing a clear path to the door. "Now get out of my sight."

Morro walked out without another word. Lloyd scurried out as fast as he could after him, not wanting to be left a single instant alone with that man that hurt people.

The door slammed shut behind them.

Lloyd trailed behind Morro. Morro was walking determinedly forward, toward the bike that now had a black pickup truck parked behind it. He was still holding the broken pieces of the frame.

Lloyd tried to think of something to say.

They stopped by the bike, but neither made a move to get on.

"He wasn't supposed to be there."

Lloyd carefully set the backpack on the ground, leaning it against the bike. He nodded.

"I should've known. The house is getting foreclosed on. Of course he lost his job. He's worthless. Such a worthless piece of-"

Lloyd gasped as he saw something drip from Morro's hand. Lloyd's hands shot out- like that man's hands had shot out, so fast, so fast you didn't even known what was happening until it was already happening and there was nothing you could do to stop it- and took Morro's wrist in both his hands. Morro's fist was shaking in barely contained rage, trembling with the burning desire to _hit_ something. Lloyd forced the fingers open to see a shard of glass, the largest piece of glass from the frame, gripped so hard in Morro's hand that the porcelain skin was smeared with blood.

"Morro, stop!" Lloyd shouted, immediately pushing the shard of glass out of Morro's hand. It thumped harmlessly into the brown grass of the lawn, still spattered with blood. Lloyd immediately pressed the sleeve of his green hoodie against Morro's hand, trying to stem the red gushing out of his palm. This he could do. He didn't know what to say but he could stop the bleeding.

They both watched Lloyd's sleeve absorb the blood for a minute. The stain was nearly black.

"Your jacket," Morro finally said, as if just now realizing what Lloyd was doing.

"It's fine. I have another one at home."

Morro's injured hand curled into a fist once again, and Lloyd knew it was the wrong thing to say.

The older boy yanked his hand away from Lloyd's grip. He threw the shattered remains of the frame on the lawn as hard as he could, echoing what the man had done just a moment ago inside the house.

"Of course you do. Of _course_ you do."

"Morro-"

"I hate you. I really hate you, you know that?"

Lloyd got the distinct feeling that, even though those burning, black eyes- the black eyes that were just like those man's- were boring into him, that Morro wasn't really talking to him. It still stung, though.

"Morro, I didn't-"

Morro was stomping away. Headed down the sidewalk. Headed somewhere. Away from this house. Away from Lloyd.

"Morro, wait! At least let me drive you home!"

Lloyd was rewarded with the sight of Morro's lone middle finger held inelegantly above his head. He rounded the corner and promptly disappeared from view.

Suddenly, Lloyd became aware of the warm, wet spot on his hoodie sleeve. The fabric was sticking to his arm. He stripped off the hoodie as fast as he could, not wanting to see Morro's blood anymore, not wanting to replay Morro's getting hit upside the head anymore. He felt guilty and rotten and lower than he'd ever felt that he had added to the number of injuries that face had seen. He'd have taken Morro's place in a heartbeat if it meant he could take back that punch he had thrown that day, the words he'd said.

From out of nowhere, Lloyd remembered when he was much younger, and, having seen the sleeping pills in his uncle's medicine cabinet, asked him why he had them.

_Wu had sighed. He got a faraway look in his eye. "You know your father and I were soldiers in our younger days. Sometimes you can't get away from the dreams." Wu had met Lloyd's eyes then. "Sometimes you just want to forget."_

The stories about his parents dying. In a fire. In a car crash. He wanted to forget. Morro was trying to forget.

Lloyd couldn't imagine a life in which he spent his time thinking up scenarios in which his father died rather than ever admit that he was alive.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this two chapter package! I've really missed you guys, and I hope you all are still enjoying the story! Thank you so much for reading! I love you! :D**


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